Japanese Spiraea- Spiraea japonica
Description
General: A dense, upright, mounded deciduous shrub growing 4 to 6’ tall with a slightly larger spread.
Leaves: Alternate, simple and ovate 1 to 3” long and sharply toothed. Leaf color is variable depending on cultivar, range from green to yellow to blue with a range of fall color.
Flower: Tiny pink flowers in flat topped corymbs 12” in diameter. Flowers cover the foliage from late spring to midsummer. Attractive to pollinators.
Fruit: Dry brown follicle, not ornamental. Deadheading increases flower production and seed elimination.
Attributes: Useful when massed in shrub borders or rock gardens. Makes a good path or walkway hedge, and can be used in foundation plantings.
Culture
Hardiness: Zones 4-8
Growing Conditions: Average, medium moisture soils in full sun.
Maintenance: No serious insect or disease issues. Can get leaf spot, powdery mildew and scale.
Transplanting: Easily transplanted as spiraea is tolerant of many soils.
Our Experience
Experience at Great Hill
We feature spiraea underneath the Great Hill sign, welcoming guests to the estate. As the sign area is a walk from any other maintained location on the estate, spiraea is the perfect shrub to feature there. It is relatively a no maintenance shrub, being drought and heat tolerant and having no disease or insect issues. Our spiraea flowers heavily each season late in the spring and then sporadically as the season progresses. It’s a wonderful shrub if you’re looking for a low maintenance option, with many cultivars to choose from.