Spirea
Spirea is one of the easiest flowering shrubs to grow, and many varieties offer many bloom and leaf colors. All have bright floral displays in spring. Many have wonderful autumn foliage with rich vivid leaf colors. They generally grow quickly retaining a nice shape.
Spirea Spiraea japonica ‘Alpina’ also known as ‘Daphne Spirea’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirements: Prefers moist well drained soils, but will tolerate dry conditions.
Mature Height: 12-15 inches
Mature Spread: 2-3 feet
Shape: Low nicely mounded
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions, but a high alkaline soil may cause yellowing of the leaves
Foliage:Small deep blue green leaves
Blooms: Light pink flowers in tight clusters
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease
Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Prune after each flowering to produce another round of blooms.
‘Alpina’ has small blue green leaves that grow on short wiry branches forming a lovely dense compact mound. Foliage turns a coppery bronze in autumn. Very showy clusters of light pink flowers appear in June, and will rebloom if spent blooms are removed. ‘Alpina’ / ‘Daphne’ performs best in full sun but will bloom in part shade.
This shrub remains quite small, reaching only about 12” high and 2-3 feet wide. Perfect for tucking in as an accent or bordering a garden. Stunning in mass plantings, small enough to anchor rock gardens or use for ground cover. It is very tolerant of urban conditions.
Spirea Spiraea x bumalda ‘Anthony Waterer’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-9
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Sun
Water Requirements: Prefers moist well drained soils, but will tolerate dry conditions.
Mature Height: 3-5 feet
Mature Spread: 3-5 feet
Shape: Low nicely mounded
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions, but a high alkaline soil may cause yellowing of the leaves
Foliage: Maroon green turning deep reddish purple in autumn
Blooms: Pinkish red flowers in tight clusters
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease
Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Prune after each flowering to produce another round of blooms.
‘Anthony Waterer’ is covered with pinkish red flowers from early summer into the fall. Foliage emerges reddish purple in spring, matures through summer to maroon green and turns reddish purple in the fall.. This beautiful mound of blooms retains a great compact and mounded shape without pruning. Pruning spent blooms however will encourage even more blooms.
Mass plantings produce a sea of rosy blooms, or makes a well behaved low hedge. Use in any sunny border, lining a walkway or in a foundation planting.
Spirea Spiraea x vanhouttei ‘Bridal Wreath’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Sun
Water Requirements: Prefers moist well drained soils, water regularly
Mature Height: 4-8 feet
Mature Spread: 6-8 feet
Shape: Upright and arching
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions
Foliage: Blue green leaves
Blooms: Double white blooms in clusters of three to six
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease
Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Prune after each flowering to produce another round of blooms.
‘Bridalwreath’ is an old fashioned spirea often found in established landscapes. It is a very distinctive spirea with arching branches. It makes an excellent specimen plant if you have the room. It can grow 6-8 feet and spreads to 12 feet in ideal conditions. Beautiful ‘Bridal Wreath’ is completely covered with white blooms in spring. Full sun produces the most flowers, but will grow well in some shade.
Prune back up to one third every year after blooming for best blooming next year. Will adapt to most soils, but prefers well drained. The blue green leaves turn yellow then plum-green in fall. Hardy to zone 4 with good results in zone 3 and is somewhat tolerant of salt.
Spirea Spiraea x bumalda ‘Goldflame’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-8
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Sun
Water Requirements: Prefers moist well drained soils, water regularly
Mature Height: 3-4 feet
Mature Spread: 3-4 feet
Shape: Low nicely mounded
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions
Foliage: Bright green gold, bronze in autumn
Blooms: Bright crimson flowers in tight clusters
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease
Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Prune after each flowering to produce another round of blooms.
New blooms appear all summer on this brightly cheerful shrub. The foliage starts green gold tinged with bronze in spring and summer, then turns to a soft yellow green and finally orange bronze by fall. The deep crimson clusters of flowers create a stunning contrast to the light and bright foliage.
Growing habit is low and nicely mounded. Goldflame prefers full sun for best blooming and color. In ideal conditions this shrub will grow quickly and often larger than 4 feet. Prunes well to maintain size, prune spent blooms to encourage continuous blooms. This Spirea is so colorful in every season you will want to plant them in masses, in foundation plantings or as an informal hedge.
Spirea Spiraea japonica ‘Goldmound’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Sun
Water Requirements: Prefers moist well drained soils, water regularly
Mature Height: 2-3 feet
Mature Spread: 3-4 feet
Shape: Low nicely mounded
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions
Foliage: Bright green gold, yellow gold in autumn
Blooms: Bright pink flowers in tight clusters
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease
Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Prune after each flowering to produce another round of blooms.
Pink flowers will recur throughout the summer if spent blooms are sheared. Leaves emerge a bright gold in spring and mellows to a yellow green for summer. Fall foliage is yellow-gold. Contrasts beautifully with dark green or blue green shrubs or evergreens.
‘Goldmound’ spirea is similar to the ‘Goldflame’ but remains smaller, at about 2-3 feet. It’s smaller size makes it an ideal foundation planting, never outgrowing it’s space. This is a striking deciduous shrub in all seasons and so easy to grow with very little maintenance.
Spirea Spiraea japonica ‘Little Princess’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Sun
Water Requirements: Prefers moist well drained soils, water regularly
Mature Height: 1-3 feet
Mature Spread: 3-6 feet
Shape: Low nicely mounded
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions
Foliage: Medium green, burgundy red in fall
Blooms: Bright pink flowers in tight clusters
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease
Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Prune after each flowering to produce another round of blooms.
Blooms of pale rose pink in tight clusters smother this deciduous shrub in spring and summer. Medium minty green foliage is a perfect contrast. Foliage turns a burgundy red in fall. ‘Little Princess’ will often remain a compact 2 feet high and 3 feet wide. But when she is happy with soil conditions and sun don’t be surprised when it spread as much as 6 feet wide and 3 feet tall. Shearing after blooms are spent will easily help to maintain size as well as encourage a late summer flush of blooms.
Growing habit is low and mounding, also making it excellent as a foundation planting or in a border garden. Use ‘Little Princess’ in masses, drifts and waves, in a hedge or as a specimen plant.
Spirea Spiraea japonica ‘Plumtastic’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-9
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirements: Prefers moist well drained soil. Somewhat drought tolerant once established
Mature Height: 1 1/2-2 feet
Mature Spread: 1 1/2-2 feet
Shape: Compact, mounded
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions, but a high alkaline soil may cause yellowing of the leaves
Foliage: Foliage opens purple red, turns deep green in summer
Blooms:Bright red pink flowers in tight clusters
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease
Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Prune after each flowering to produce another round of blooms.
Vivid red pink cerise blooms are so striking all summer against deep green foliage. New foliage emerges a rich red purple. ‘Plumtastic’ maintains a tidy rounded form at about only 2 feet high and wide.
The bright blooms attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Perfect for the front of a border or foundation plantings. Plant in masses for striking color, border a walkway, or use as an accent plant. Small enough even for rock gardens and is drought tolerant once established.
Spirea Spiraea japonica x ‘Tracy’ also known as Double Play Big Bang
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-9
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirements: Prefers moist well drained soils, supplement water in extreme heat
Mature Height: 2-3 feet
Mature Spread: 2-3 feet
Shape: Roughly mounded, carefree
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions, but a high alkaline soil may cause yellowing of the leaves
Foliage:Small deep blue green leaves
Blooms: Light pink flowers in tight clusters
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease
Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Prune after each flowering to produce another round of blooms.
The foliage of ‘Tracy’ is as much a star as the massively large clusters of pink blooms. The leaves emerge glowing orange in spring, then turn yellow green for summer, and finally a golden orange in fall. The bright bloom clusters are the largest of the spirea varieties. This spirea will display best color in full sun, but will do fine in part shade.
With the all seasons color display, use Double Play Big Bang as a focal point, lining a footpath, in your cottage garden or foundation plantings. It is very easy to care for and attracts butterflies. Tolerates urban conditions and pollution well.
Spirea Spiraea japonica ‘Walbuma’ Magic Carpet
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-8
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirements: Prefers moist well drained soil
Mature Height: 1-2 feet
Mature Spread: 2-3 feet
Shape: Compact, mounded
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions, but a high alkaline soil may cause yellowing of the leaves
Foliage: Foliage opens red, turns bold in summer and matures to russet in fall
Blooms: Light pink flowers in tight clusters
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Good resistance to pests and disease
Fertilize: Apply a balanced or slow release fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Prune after each flowering to produce another round of blooms.
Spring foliage opens in bright red, beginning Magic Carpet’s colorful season. Summer brings bright gold leaves when grown in full sun, contrasted with clusters of pink flowers. Summer foliage will be more green gold when grown in part shade. Autumn foliage matures to a rich russet. A third generation seedling of the fabulous ‘Goldflame’, the color progression of foliage is similar, but ‘Walbuma’ Magic Carpet is a smaller version.
Use in a mixed border to attract butterflies, as a foundation planting or low hedge. Retains a nice form without pruning, but does prune well if needed. Shearing spent blooms will also encourage reblooming, or shear back as much as a third to maintain a smaller size.