Clethra barbinervis, the Japanese clethra, is a species of flowering plant in the family Clethraceae. It is native to eastern Asia, where it is found in southern China, Korea, and Japan.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Its natural habitat is in open mountain forests.Clethra barbinervis Flora of China It is a common species in Japan, and is often found in disturbed secondary forests.Clethra barbinervis (in Japanese), Okayama University Plant Ecology Laboratory
It is an upright shrub growing to . Its leaves are deciduous, dark green, and are long. Racemes of small, fragrant, white flowers long are produced in late summer and autumn. Mature specimens have peeling bark. The bark is plain, blackish brown with twigs turning back.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Though hardy in cultivation, it requires a sheltered location in temperate regions.
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