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Coastal Sweet-pepperbush

Clethra alnifolia

Found in pocosins, blackwater swamp forests, nonriverine swamp forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Florida edition What its natural habitat tells you

52
Strong

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
5–10 feet
Spread
4–6 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 4 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
June to August
Fruiting season
September to October

Recorded in 28 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Swamps

Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp
Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Pocosins and bay forests

Dense evergreen shrub wetlands and bay forests on wet, acid peat of the Coastal Plain.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 172 animals.

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

8CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Clethra

  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Lycia ypsilonWoolly Gray
  • Nola clethraeSweet Pepperbush Nola
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
11BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Clethra

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Clethraceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Pink or white
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
September
Fruit ends
October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Coastal Pepperbush; Coastal Sweet pepperbush

Conservation status

Florida rankS4
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources