82 FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROADSIDE. 



woods from New England to Pennsylvania, Michi- 

 gan, Minnesota, and northward. The leaves are 

 about two inches long, very white-woolly or velvety 

 beneath, narrow, like willow leaves, and without 

 teeth, but strongly rolled at the edge. The flowers 

 are small, white, and the little corollas have live dis- 

 tinct petals. They appear in May and June and 

 sometimes continue through July. 

 The shrub grows from one to 

 five feet high. In olden times 

 its astringent leaves were used 

 as a substitute for tea. 



One of the most attractive and 

 fragrant members of the Heath 

 family is the white alder or 

 sweet pepper bush (Clethra 

 alnifolia). This beautiful 

 shrub is as worthy of cultiva- 

 tion as the shad bush or the 

 mountain laurel. Not infrequent- 

 ly it appears in the water borders of 

 our parks. The leaves are from two to 

 ciethL four inches long, wedge-shaped, and 



toothed at the upper edge. The small 

 flowers appear in July or August, in long, terminal, 

 upright spikes. They are similar in form to those of 

 Labrador tea, but they have in addition a sweet, heavy 



