“Summersweet” is the common name for Clethra alnifolia.  It’s relatively small shrub that likes swampy areas but will grow in a wide variety of environments.    They’re abundant in the swampy areas along my main route to and from work.   They’re in flower now and the aroma is great – very rich perfumy.   (The origin of “summersweet” is apparent.)  I put the windows down when I drive by to take it in.

We have two Clethra in the yard:  one is the straight species and the other is a “Hummingbird” cultivar which grows lower.   Both are excellent plants and are now pretty widely available in commerce.  I was in a garden center the other day and they had three or four pots together in a cluster.  There was a cloud of bees around them – not just honeybees and bumblebees but other pollinators and wasps, some of which I’d never seen the likes of before.   Very happy bees.  It was great to see.