Sweet Pepperbush - Shrubs #1

Sweet Pepperbush is now blooming in wetlands at sites such as Hammond Woods and the Charles River Path - Wells Avenue. This common plant of the Atlantic Coastal Plain produces spikes of intensely fragrant white flowers. It's attractive enough that it is now commercially available for landscaping. This plant is indicative of wetland conditions. This is a lovely native shrub. Recently, I was reading a proposal for soil remediation that required excavating a wetland dominated by Sweet Pepperbush. Given my fondness for this plant, I was quite distressed to see the applicant's consultant mistakenly describe Sweet Pepperbush as a non-native and invasive shrub. Please go out and enjoy this fragrant and attractive shrub while it is still blooming.