82 FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROADSIDE. 



woods from l^ew England to PennBylvania, Michi- 

 gan, Minnesota, and northward. The leaves are 

 about two inches long, very white-woolly or velvety 

 beneath, narrow, like willow leaves, and withoiit 

 teetli, but strongly rolled at the edge. The flowers 

 are small, white, and the little corollas have tive 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 siibstitute 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- 

 'i/ZlllV ^^ ^y ^* appears in the water borders of 

 Ww^ our parks. The leaves are from two to 

 Clethra. four inclies 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 



