ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.
Double bid ® ‘ amber ’ ( Spiraea japonica)Photo by : Proven Winners
Like hydrangea , rhododendron , and lilac , spirea ( or spiraea ) has join the social rank as one of the most popular flowering shrub for the home garden . Their long - live on blooms and ability to serve a variety of landscape functions — from mass planting and perennial borders to groundcovers and loose hedges — have made them a staple in gardens of all size . If you ’re only intimate with the traditional nuptial wreath spirea , a large bush that can become ungainly if not rationalise , you ’ll love the versatility and carefree nature of the new spirea cultivar showcased here . They not only have healthy emergence habits but also more vivacious leaf , so they ply seasonal pastime even when not in prime .
On this page : Basics|Types|Planting|Care|Spirea Pictures|Landscaping Tips
SPIREA BASICS
Zones:
Most are hardy from zona 4 - 8 , but some varieties are more heat and cold-blooded large-minded .
Size range:
1 to 8 foot tall and up to 6 foot wide .
Light exposure:
For the best foliation color and flower production , give spirea full sun ( at least 6 hours of verbatim light daily ) .
Soil preference:
Well - run out , neutral to slightly acidic dirt ( pH 6 to 7 ) .
Bloom period:
Spirea bush are classified as bound - blooming ( budding out in May and June ) or summertime - blooming ( budding out in July and August ) varieties .
Growth rate:
temperate to fast .
Wildlife benefits:
Attracts bees and butterflies ; cervid resistant .
Is spirea invasive?
Some coinage sow aggressively in parts of the country . moderate with local experts for regionally appropriate Astilbe japonica selections . New cultivars , such asDouble bet Doozie ® spireahave been developed to be seedless and non - invasive , or considersweetspireorsummersweetas alternatives .
Learn more : Where is this metal money invasive in the US ?
TYPES OF SPIREA
Japanese spirea(Spiraea japonica):
useable in a extensive raiment of cultivar , Nipponese spiraea offer the most variety in terms of sizing , efflorescence color , and leaf color . It produce abundant clusters of white , light pink , rose-colored cherry-red or purple flowers that adorn the branches in recent outflow and summer . Sizes swan from midget types , such as ‘ Little Princess ’ , to larger shrub that spring up to 5 feet or taller . Most change have finely textured green or blue - green leaves , but some cultivars have lily-livered or chartreuse foliation that change color throughout the season .
Bridal wreath spirea(Spiraea prunifolia):
This old - fashioned classic is instantly placeable by its tiny carnation - same double white peak that cut through the bare branches in early outflow . One of the turgid of the spirea species , bridal chaplet reaches 4 to 8 feet high and 6 to 8 groundwork all-embracing and has loose , arching offshoot that give it a fountain - similar effect . In fall , the finely serrated gullible leaves turn shades of yellow , red-faced , and orange .
Nippon spirea(Spiraea nipponica):
Nippon spirea is an upright piano , mounded bush reaching 4 to 5 feet marvelous and wide , with graceful overhanging limb . corsage - like cluster of small bloodless flowers smother the branches in late spring . The thick downcast - green leaves are a big property during the summer months .
Birchleaf spirea(Spiraea betulifolia):
A compact , round shrub growing 3 to 4 metrical foot tall and extensive . White flowers appear in early to summer solstice , but this spiraea is at its most coloured in fall , when the dark green , birch tree - like foliage turn rich refinement of crimson , orangish , and purple
Early spirea(Spiraea thunbergii):
This 3- to 5 - foot - marvellous spirea is one of the first to flower in early springiness . The white umbrella - shape flowers go forth on slender , arching branches before the finely textured pale - dark-green foliage , which choose on yellow and orangish tones in decline .
HOW TO PLANT SPIREA
When to plant:
Spring or come down
Where to plant:
ensure you have choose a site that debilitate well and receives at least 6 minute of sun each day .
How to plant:
Dig a yap that is twice as wide as the container and just as inscrutable . take out the plant from its container and softly loose any tightly wound roots . put the plant in the maw and backfill with the dig up soil . Water thoroughly to subside the grunge . Cover with a 2 - 3 ” level of mulch , keeping it away from the stems .
Spacing:
Space spiraea found 2 to 15 feet apart , bet on the wait mature breadth of the industrial plant and the app . To create dense , full spirea hedge , you’re able to space your plants more nearly together as long as you give them some elbow elbow room .
SPIREA CARE
Fertilizing:
Spireas are not heavy eater , so they ’ll do OK with an coating ofcontrolled - vent fertilizerin early leaping , which should provide enough sustenance for the intact growing season .
Watering:
Keep newly planted spireas well - water until they become established . matured spireas are drouth kind and only need tearing when the soil becomes teetotal . Spireas do n’t care wet feet , so nullify oversaturating the soil .
Pruning spirea:
Do n’t hesitate to give spireas a liberal pruning , if needed , to maintain their shape and to remove bushed or broken branches . This is better done in former winter or early fountain while your plants are hibernating . chip in spireas another weak pruning after they bloom in outflow or early summer will promote new blooms and invigorate leaf growth . Because spireas are fast growers , they will recover quickly .
Pests and diseases:
Spirea broadly speaking are n’t vex by any serious pest or disease problems . However , they are related to rosebush and can be susceptible to the same pests and disease as blush wine , such as folio spot , powdery mildewandaphids .
SPIREA VARIETIES
pic by : Proven Winners
duple Play Doozie ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea japonica
3 to 8
Bloom time:
previous spring to fall
Height and spread:
2 to 3 metrical unit tall & wide
This seedless , non - invasive variety blooms non - stop from spring until fall . abstruse red foliage emerges in other spring , followed by regal - red flowers in late fountain .
2022 National Flowering Shrub of the Year
Double gambol ® Big Bang ™ —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea japonica
former leaping to June 21
Giving you three time of year of show - block color and supernumerary - gravid pinkish blooms , this spirea truly creates a large bang wherever it ’s plant . The attack of people of color set about in the spring with the emergence of burnished orangish leafage that turns radiant yellow-bellied in the summertime before transitioning back to golden orange in fall . The giant cluster of pure pink flush appear in recent fountain , creating a dazzling contrast with the yellowish leafage .
twofold caper ® Candy Corn ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea japonica
4 - 7
Late fountain through midsummer
1½ to 2½ feet tall & wide
This exquisite minuscule spirea may have the most colourful foliage around , emerging confect - apple red in the spring and maturing to yellow and pumpkin Orange River as the season progresses . add up to its eye - confect ingathering are dark majestic peak that seem in late spring . Give it a twinkle shearing after the first flush of flower and enjoy an encore performance that lasts into gloam . Otherwise , little pruning is require to maintain this shrub ’s compact , mound shape .
nuptials Cake ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea nipponica
4 - 8
Late bounce through other summer
3 to 4 feet improbable & wide
Growing no taller than waist stratum , this refined lily-white - flowering spirea takes the cake over its marvellous full cousin ‘ Snowmound ’ , uphold a neat , rounded shape well suited for smaller garden , specially as a hedge plant life or dramatic focal point . A richness of lily livid flowers in former springtime create a salient contrast with the dark blue - green foliation .
Double Play ® Blue Kazoo ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea culture medium
3 - 8
Spring , Summer & Fall
Blue foliage shifts colors through the year through shades of red , purple and fleeceable . This variety does well in partly shady conditions and is n’t cross about watering or soil conditions either . flush with crisp lily-white flowers begin in late outflow . A great non - trespassing selection for eastern U.S.
Glow Girl ® ( ' Tor Gold')—Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea betulifolia
3 - 9
ahead of time to late bound
This gold - leafed version of birchleaf spirea provide a longer season of pursuit , with sunny yellow saltation foliation that mature to chartreuse in summertime and turns ardent refinement of red , orangish , and purpleness in evenfall . In former spring , prime buds with suggestion of red outdoors into clustering of virginal white flowers . highly inhuman hardy and heat tolerant .
Photo by : Anna Gratys / Shutterstock.com
' Goldflame’Spiraea japonica
Early to midsummer
If your garden needs some color to cancel one - note green - leafed shrubs and evergreens , the chance on foliage of spirea ‘ Goldflame ’ allow for the pure counterpoint . In give , the leave of absence are bronze - red , pitch to bright yellow - putting green in the summer and deep coppery orange in the fall . An plosion of rosy pink efflorescence in former summertime stand out in vivid direct contrast . Also tryS. japonica’Goldmound ' , which has similar color - tilt foliage that come out bright prosperous white-livered in the spring and transitions to chartreuse in the summer and an attractive orange - Marxist in the fall .
' small Princess’Spiraea japonica
May to July
2 base tall and 3 feet wide
all enrobe in treat clusters of wanton pink flowers from tardy spring through early summertime , ‘ Little Princess ’ reigns sovereign as a glossy crushed - maintenance emphasis bush for gardens with limited blank space . A dense , close increment habit keeps it looking clean and healthy without pruning . The finely textured mickle - green leaf turn a striking coppery bronze in fall .
Photo by : Erika Kirkpatrick / Shutterstock.com
' Magic Carpet’Spiraea japonica
former summertime through fall
1 to 2 feet improbable , 2 feet extensive
This low - maturate mound spirea shrub is idealistic for creating center - catching borders that ply continual pastime . In springiness , the new leaves are vibrant red , gradually maturing to gold while retaining crimson tips at the end of the branches . In summertime , clump of deep pink flowers arrange off the brilliant Au foliage and extend periodically well into surrender .
' Anthony Waterer’Spiraea japonica
May to August
2 to 3 feet tall , 3 to 4 foot wide
One of the oldest and most popular of the Japanese spirea , ' Anthony Waterer ' has set the saloon mellow for other cultivars to watch over . From late spring through midsummer , it flaunt frilly 6 - inch clustering of ruby-red - pinkish flowers arrange against a backdrop of attractive blue - green foliage . In autumn , the leaf change by reversal attractive shades of red .
