About
Small, upright thicket-forming shrub to about 1.2m tall, with narrow, sharply-serrated mid-green leaves on unbranched yellow-brown stems, and downy, terminal panicles of tiny white flowers produced in late summer.
About the genus
Spiraea are deciduous shrubs, sometimes suckering, with simple leaves and short racemes, panicles or corymbs of small, 5-petalled white or pink flowers in spring or summer
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs
HabitSuckering
FoliageDeciduous
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread1-1.5 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Native toN America
Care notes
CultivationGrow in most moist soils, including wet and boggy soils, tolerant of all but the most extreme conditions, in full sun or light shade
PruningPruning group 6 for spiraea flowering on current years stems, deadhead after flowering. Keep really neat and compact by cutting all stems back to within 15cm of ground level after flowering
PropagationPropagate suckering species such as S. alba by division in late summer or early spring. Propagate by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in spring to late summer or hardwood cuttings in winter
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free but may be susceptible to honey fungus