ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.
Double Play ® ‘ atomic number 79 ’ ( Spiraea japonica)Photo by : Proven victor
Like hydrangea , rhododendron , and lilac , spirea ( or spiraea ) has join the ranks as one of the most democratic flowering bush for the home garden . Their long - lasting prime and ability to serve a variety of landscape function — from aggregative planting and perennial borders to ground cover and intimate hedges — have made them a staple in garden of all sizes . If you ’re only familiar with the traditional nuptial lei Astilbe japonica , a big shrub that can become ungainly if not pruned , you ’ll love the versatility and carefree nature of the newer spiraea cultivars showcased here . They not only have respectable growth habit but also more vibrant foliage , so they provide seasonal interest group even when not in bloom .
On this page : Basics|Types|Planting|Care|Spirea Pictures|Landscaping Tips
SPIREA BASICS
Zones:
Most are hardy from zones 4 - 8 , but some varieties are more heat and cold broad .
Size range:
1 to 8 metrical foot improbable and up to 6 foot wide .
Light exposure:
For the best foliage colouration and flower yield , give spirea full sun ( at least 6 hour of lineal light source daily ) .
Soil preference:
Well - drained , neutral to slenderly acidulent soil ( pH 6 to 7 ) .
Bloom period:
Spirea bushes are separate as outpouring - blooming ( budding out in May and June ) or summertime - blossom ( bud out in July and August ) varieties .
Growth rate:
temperate to fast .
Wildlife benefits:
attract bee and butterflies ; cervid resistive .
Is spirea invasive?
Some specie seed aggressively in parts of the country . Check with local experts for regionally appropriate Astilbe japonica excerpt . Modern cultivars , such asDouble run Doozie ® spireahave been develop to be seedless and non - invasive , or considersweetspireorsummersweetas alternatives .
acquire more : Where is this species invading in the US ?
TYPES OF SPIREA
Japanese spirea(Spiraea japonica):
uncommitted in a wide array of cultivars , Japanese spirea offers the most variety in terms of sizing , flush color , and leaf gloss . It produces abundant cluster of white , abstemious pink , fortunate red or purple flowers that adorn the branch in late spring and summer . Sizes range from nanus types , such as ‘ Little Princess ’ , to gravid shrub that mature to 5 pes or tall . Most varieties have finely textured green or blue - green leaves , but some cultivars have yellowed or chartreuse foliation that deepen color throughout the time of year .
Bridal wreath spirea(Spiraea prunifolia):
This old - fashioned classic is instantly recognizable by its tiny carnation - like three-fold white efflorescence that plow the bare branches in other spring . One of the largest of the spirea species , bridal wreath reaches 4 to 8 feet high and 6 to 8 feet spacious and has slack , arc branch that give it a fountain - like event . In drop , the finely serrate greenish leaves turn shades of icteric , red , and orangish .
Nippon spirea(Spiraea nipponica):
Nippon spirea is an upright , mound shrub reaching 4 to 5 feet marvellous and wide , with graceful overhanging branches . Bouquet - similar clusters of little ashen heyday smother the branches in late fountain . The recondite blue - gullible leaf are a handsome dimension during the summer months .
Birchleaf spirea(Spiraea betulifolia):
A compact , round down bush growing 3 to 4 feet tall and wide . livid blossom appear in early to June 21 , but this spirea is at its most colorful in autumn , when the sorry immature , birch - like leave of absence turn rich shades of red , orangish , and purple
Early spirea(Spiraea thunbergii):
This 3- to 5 - foot - improbable spirea is one of the first to bloom in former spring . The white umbrella - shaped flowers emerge on slender , arch branch before the finely textured wan - green foliage , which takes on yellow and orange tones in fall .
HOW TO PLANT SPIREA
When to plant:
Spring or fall
Where to plant:
ensure you have select a site that enfeeble well and receive at least 6 hours of Lord’s Day each daytime .
How to plant:
Dig a fix that is double as all-inclusive as the container and just as rich . Remove the plant from its container and gently loosen any tightly wound roots . Place the plant in the hollow and backfill with the unearth soil . Water exhaustively to settle the grunge . Cover with a 2 - 3 ” layer of mulch , maintain it aside from the stems .
Spacing:
place spirea plant 2 to 15 feet aside , bet on the bear mature breadth of the plant and the covering . To create thick , full spiraea hedging , you could space your plants more closely together as long as you give them some elbow room .
SPIREA CARE
Fertilizing:
Spireas are not sound feeders , so they ’ll do exquisitely with an coating ofcontrolled - discharge fertilizerin other spring , which should provide enough sustenance for the entire grow season .
Watering:
Keep newly set spireas well - watered until they become established . fledged spirea are drouth liberal and only want watering when the soil becomes ironical . Astilbe japonica do n’t like cockeyed feet , so avoid oversaturating the soil .
Pruning spirea:
Do n’t waver to give spireas a liberal pruning , if ask , to maintain their shape and to remove dead or broken branches . This is best done in previous wintertime or former spring while your works are sleeping . Giving spireas another faint pruning after they flower in fountain or former summertime will promote new blooms and invigorate foliage growth . Because spireas are fast growers , they will recover quickly .
Pests and diseases:
Spirea broadly are n’t bothered by any serious pest or disease problem . However , they are related to roses and can be susceptible to the same pests and diseases as roses , such as leaf smear , powdery mildewandaphids .
SPIREA VARIETIES
Photo by : Proven Winners
Double bring Doozie ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea japonica
3 to 8
Bloom time:
Late spring to fall
Height and spread:
2 to 3 foot tall & wide-eyed
This seedless , non - invasive variety blooms non - stop from spring until surrender . Deep red leaf emerge in early saltation , followed by purple - red flowers in previous springiness .
2022 National Flowering Shrub of the Year
three-fold romp ® Big Bang ™ —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea japonica
tardy spring to midsummer
Giving you three seasons of show - stopping semblance and surplus - big pink blooms , this spirea truly creates a bad bang wherever it ’s establish . The blast of color begins in the leaping with the egress of hopeful orange foliage that become beamy yellow in the summer before transitioning back to golden orange in autumn . The jumbo clusters of pure pinkish bloom appear in late spring , create a dazzle contrast with the lily-livered foliation .
Double Play ® Candy Corn ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea japonica
4 - 7
Late outpouring through midsummer
1½ to 2½ foot marvelous & wide
This exquisite small spiraea may have the most coloured foliage around , emerge confect - apple red in the spring and maturing to yellow and pumpkin vine orange as the time of year build . Adding to its eye - confect appeal are dark purple bloom that seem in previous spring . Give it a ignitor shearing after the first flush of blooms and enjoy an encore operation that last into descent . Otherwise , little pruning is want to maintain this shrub ’s compact , mound shape .
marriage Cake ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea nipponica
4 - 8
recent spring through former summer
3 to 4 feet magniloquent & wide
Growing no tall than waist spirit level , this elegant white-hot - flowering spiraea take the bar over its taller cousin ‘ Snowmound ’ , maintain a neat , rounded shape well suited for smaller garden , especially as a hedge industrial plant or striking focal point . A richness of lily white efflorescence in late fountain make a striking contrast with the saturnine blue - green foliage .
Double Play ® Blue Kazoo ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea culture medium
3 - 8
Spring , Summer & Fall
Blue foliage fracture gloss through the twelvemonth through spectre of red , violet and green . This variety does well in partly suspicious conditions and is n’t ill-tempered about lacrimation or grunge condition either . Blooms with crisp white-hot flowers go in late bound . A great non - invasive choice for easterly U.S.
Glow Girl ® ( ' Tor Gold')—Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea betulifolia
3 - 9
Early to late saltation
This gold - leafed interpretation of birchleaf spirea allow a longer season of interest , with sunny yellow spring foliation that get on to chartreuse in summertime and turn warm shades of red , orange , and purple in fall . In early spring , flower bud with hints of blood-red open into clusters of gross blank bloom . Extremely cold brave and heat resistant .
Photo by : Anna Gratys / Shutterstock.com
' Goldflame’Spiraea japonica
Early to midsummer
If your garden necessitate some color to offset one - bill unripe - leafed bush and evergreen , the striking foliage of spiraea ‘ Goldflame ’ provide the stark counterpoint . In spring , the leave are bronze - red , shifting to bright yellow - green in the summertime and rich coppery orange in the fall . An explosion of flushed pinkish bloom in early summertime stand out in vivid contrast . Also tryS. japonica’Goldmound ' , which has similar color - agitate foliage that emerges bright gilded jaundiced in the spring and transition to chartreuse in the summertime and an attractive orange - red in the fall .
' niggling Princess’Spiraea japonica
May to July
2 fundament grandiloquent and 3 foot wide of the mark
Completely enrobed in dainty clusters of light pinkish flower from late natural spring through early summertime , ‘ Little Princess ’ reigns supreme as a flamboyant depleted - care accent shrub for gardens with circumscribed outer space . A dense , tight increment drug abuse keeps it looking neat and tidy without pruning . The finely textured mint - greenish leaf turn a striking coppery bronze in evenfall .
picture by : Erika Kirkpatrick / Shutterstock.com
' Magic Carpet’Spiraea japonica
other summertime through pin
1 to 2 feet tall , 2 feet all-inclusive
This low - growing mounded spiraea shrub is ideal for make center - catch borders that cater continual interest . In bounce , the new leaves are vibrant red , gradually get on to gold while retaining red bakshis at the end of the branch . In summertime , clustering of inscrutable pink flowers set off the shining amber foliation and continue sporadically well into capitulation .
' Anthony Waterer’Spiraea japonica
May to August
2 to 3 feet tall , 3 to 4 feet wide
One of the oldest and most popular of the Nipponese spireas , ' Anthony Waterer ' has set the bar high for other cultivars to follow . From later leap through midsummer , it flaunts frilly 6 - column inch bunch of carmine - pink flowers set against a backdrop of attractive racy - green foliage . In fall , the foliage release attractive shade of red .
