I seen it mentioned on other forums that people in the northern tier feel their gardens are about 2 weeks behind this year. April was a lot colder than last year -- the evening temps hovered near freezing, the daytime temps were cold and it was often cloudy. Give your clethera a week or two.

Thanks, janetpetiole. Checking my garden journal, you're right. We're behind a few weeks from last year (especially noticable with my roses). This summersweet was new last year and I don't seem to have good luck with them.

The buds on mine just started opening on Saturday.

tj

That's good to know, tj. I have this love/hate thing going on with Summersweet. I love them, they hate me. I love that they bloom at the end of the summer, when most shrubs are long over, and the fragrance is incredible.

The first one I shovel pruned too early before I realized it was so late to leaf out (taught me to Google *everything*). Rabbits chowed down on the next one, and it never came back. This one is in a cage, and I'll wait 'til July if I have to, before I dig it up.

Sounds like mine. It's in its third home. Just started to look good and the fur rats (rabbits) got it. It is sloooowly coming back.

tj