Sweet Pepper Bush

Sweet Pepper Bush ~ Clethra alnifolia

Pepper bush is native to Eastern North America, along the coast from Maine to Florida and west to Texas. It can generally be found on ridges or ledges, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, woodlands, and especially roadsides around this part of Massachusetts. What sticks out about this species is that even though it grows in shade most of the time, It's still able to have such a late bloom in the season-opening up to its raceme inflorescence.