Clethra fargesii
Clethra fargesii
Clethra fargesii
More information
Back-to-school special offer!
Get €10 off for every €50 you spend! And get up to €40 off on a single order.
How does it work?
1. Shop your favourites
Add your favourite plants to your basket. For every €50 you spend (excluding delivery charges, store credit and the plastic-free option), you’ll receive a €10 voucher.
€50 spent = €10 voucher
€100 spent = €20 voucher
€150 spent = €30 voucher
€200 spent = €40 voucher
2. Place your order
Once your basket reaches one of the spending thresholds, place your order. You can even choose your delivery date!
3. Receive your voucher
As soon as your order has been shipped, you’ll receive an email containing your personal voucher code and its value.
4. Use it on your next order
Your voucher is valid for 90 days from the date you receive it. It can be used once only, on a new order worth at least the value of the voucher, excluding delivery charges.
Please note: Vouchers can be combined with other offers, but cannot be split or refunded.
Why not try an alternative variety in stock?
View all →
Available in 3 sizes
Available in 2 sizes
Available in 2 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 2 sizes
This plant carries a 24 months recovery warranty
More information
We guarantee the quality of our plants for a full growing cycle, and will replace at our expense any plant that fails to recover under normal climatic and planting conditions.
Would this plant suit my garden?
Set up your Plantfit profile →
Description
The Clethra fargesii is a species of Clethra native to Asia. It is closely related to the Clethra barbinervis, but has a more moderate growth habit. It is also distinguished by wider leaves towards the apex, denser and more persistently downy on the underside, and its calyx lobes are not finely pointed, but rounded. It is a spreading bush with decorative bark, autumn-coloured foliage, and a very long summer flowering period that is white and airy, both melliferous and fragrant. Clethra plants bring life to large heather soil beds and slightly shaded areas of the garden, in humus-bearing, non-limestone, moist to wet soils.
The Clethra fargesii is a deciduous shrub native to the Chinese provinces of Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, and Sichuan, where it grows in forests and thickets at elevations between 700 and 2100 metres. It is very cold-hardy (-18°C) and can reach a height and spread of 3 to 4 metres under suitable growing conditions. The shrub has a bushy and dense habit, almost as wide as it is tall. Its smooth, orange-coloured bark peels off with age, revealing yellow ochre-coloured patches. From spring onwards, the branches bear lanceolate leaves with prominent veins, toothed edges, and a slightly rough texture, measuring about 12-15 cm in length. The leaves are bright green in spring and summer, gradually turning yellow and then red in autumn before falling. The flowering period occurs in midsummer, from July to September, and remains decorative for several weeks. Inflorescences measuring 5 to 15 cm in length form in the axils of the leaves, located towards the end of the branches. These inflorescences are composed of numerous tiny white bell-shaped flowers with prominent stamens that open from the base of the spike to the top. Their sweet fragrance has a pleasant note of green apple and can be smelled several metres away. After pollination, decorative fruits form and remain on the branches throughout winter.
The Clethra fargesii, with its Japanese-inspired appearance, is ideal for the back of a border or in a free hedge, where it pairs perfectly with Photinias, Forsythias, Pieris, for example. It thrives in light, non-limestone soils that never dry out, in partially shaded positions that are bright but not scorching. It finds its place in heather soil beds or in front of large deciduous trees, provided the soil remains moist in summer. For example, pair it with large rhododendrons, camellias, Kalmia, and winter-flowering heathers that will take over after its flowering period. As it can be grown in large containers with regular watering, it can also be used to decorate a terrace or patio.
Clethra fargesii in pictures
Plant habit
Flowering
Foliage
Botanical data
Clethra
fargesii
Clethraceae
China
Planting and care
The Clethra fargesii, hardy down to -18°C, is preferably planted in spring, in a soil that remains moist all year round, light, well-drained, acidic and rich in humus, in a gently sunny or semi-shaded location, very bright but not scorching. An addition of turf, well decomposed compost and potting soil is necessary at planting. Growing in pure heather soil is also accepted, but it should be enriched with compost. This bush cannot tolerate limestone, drought or heatwaves. Remove faded flowers and, in winter, prune old stems. It is naturally resistant to diseases and parasites.
Planting period
Intended location
Care
Planting & care advice
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
This item has not been reviewed yet - be the first to leave a review about it.
Recently viewed products
Haven't found what you were looking for?
Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
The flowering period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, etc.)
It will vary according to where you live:- In zones 9 to 10 (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), flowering will occur about 2 to 4 weeks earlier.
- In zones 6 to 7 (Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and lower mountainous regions), flowering will be delayed by 2 to 3 weeks.
- In zone 5 (Central Europe, Scandinavia), blooming will be delayed by 3 to 5 weeks.
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands).
It will vary according to where you live:
- In Mediterranean zones (Marseille, Madrid, Milan, etc.), autumn and winter are the best planting periods.
- In continental zones (Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, etc.), delay planting by 2 to 3 weeks in spring and bring it forward by 2 to 4 weeks in autumn.
- In mountainous regions (the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians, etc.), it is best to plant in late spring (May-June) or late summer (August-September).
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.