Alder-leaved cornflower
4.25$
Seeds grown in an ecological and responsible manner by Akène, forest culture
Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) is a shrub valued for its spikes of fragrant white flowers that attract a wide variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies, during the summer. It can grow to about 1,5 metres tall, forming clumps thanks to its suckering roots. This shrub is particularly well adapted to moist soils, making it an excellent choice for garden borders, wetlands or around bodies of water. It is resistant to harsh conditions, including Quebec winters, down to zone 4, and is remarkably free of disease, insects or physiological problems. Its dried fruit capsules, which persist long after flowering, are a source of interest to seed-eating birds, extending the ornamental and ecological usefulness of the plant after the flowering season.
Ecological roles
Sweet Pepperbush plays an important role in the ecosystems where it is introduced, particularly in Quebec. Its fragrant flowers are an important source of nectar for bees and butterflies, while its dried fruit capsules feed seed-eating birds after flowering. Thanks to its suckering roots, this shrub also helps stabilize wet soils, making it an ideal plant for preventing erosion in marshy environments. In addition, its ability to form dense clumps makes it a refuge for small wildlife. Resistant to disease and requiring no intensive maintenance, this shrub is a safe bet for naturalist gardens and ecological developments.
Available at the ecoumene only
Seeds grown in an ecological and responsible manner by Akène, forest culture
Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) is a shrub valued for its spikes of fragrant white flowers that attract a wide variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies, during the summer. It can grow to about 1,5 metres tall, forming clumps thanks to its suckering roots. This shrub is particularly well adapted to moist soils, making it an excellent choice for garden borders, wetlands or around bodies of water. It is resistant to harsh conditions, including Quebec winters, down to zone 4, and is remarkably free of disease, insects or physiological problems. Its dried fruit capsules, which persist long after flowering, are a source of interest to seed-eating birds, extending the ornamental and ecological usefulness of the plant after the flowering season.
Ecological roles
Sweet Pepperbush plays an important role in the ecosystems where it is introduced, particularly in Quebec. Its fragrant flowers are an important source of nectar for bees and butterflies, while its dried fruit capsules feed seed-eating birds after flowering. Thanks to its suckering roots, this shrub also helps stabilize wet soils, making it an ideal plant for preventing erosion in marshy environments. In addition, its ability to form dense clumps makes it a refuge for small wildlife. Resistant to disease and requiring no intensive maintenance, this shrub is a safe bet for naturalist gardens and ecological developments.
Description
Sowing and cultivation
Klethrum, like other species with very small seeds, requires light and a high level of humidity to ensure successful germination. It is therefore much easier to start seedlings indoors than to attempt sowing outdoors.
Sprinkle the seeds on the surface with a well-moistened, high-peat moss seedling mix, or make your own with one part peat moss, one part perlite and two parts seedling mix. Spray a little water on the seeds to ensure good contact with the soil. Cover the container with a plastic dome (or place it in a plastic bag) and place it under grow lights. Set the lights to be on for 16 hours a day.
Once the seeds have germinated, perforate the plastic dome or make an opening in the bag to let in some air, but be sure not to let the substrate dry out. After a few weeks, when the plants have formed their first real leaves, give them a light dose of fertilizer (fish hydrolyzate is ideal) and carefully drain off the excess water before replacing the plastic dome.
This method helps maintain a necessary high humidity level, but use your judgment to ensure that you also do not create conditions conducive to mold growth at damping off. (see: https://jardinierparesseux.com/2017/04/06/la-fonte-des-semis/)
The use of peat moss helps to lower the pH of the substrate, as fungi are less likely to proliferate in a more acidic environment.
Seedlings can be divided and transplanted individually when they are 1 inch tall. They then no longer need the plastic dome.
Rapidly growing, cornflower should begin to flower after 2 or 3 years.
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Technical Details
Seeds per bag: 30
Family: Clethraceae
Scientific name : Clethra alnifolia
Life cycle: Perennial
Area : 4
Floor : Sour and wet
Light : Sun, partial shade
Flowering: July to September
Spacing: 100 cm
Height: 120 cm
Deer resistance: Yes
Stratification: No
Scarification: No
Germination time: 20 days
Sowing depth: Surface
Further information
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