An interesting Spirea with pink and white flowers produced at the same time.
Pronunciation
(spy-REE-a)
Plant Type
All Plants, Shrubs Deciduous
Hardiness Zone
3-8
Sunlight
full sun, tolerates some shade but flower production is reduced
Moisture
average
Soil & Site
average
Flowers
flat topped inflorescence with small pink and or white flowers at the same time, a later blooming Spirea with flowers at the end of June through mid-July
Dimensions
Reaches a spread of 3 feet by 30-36" tall.
Maintenance
Most all of the Spirea x bumalda and japonica group needs to be pruned back on a 1-3 year cycle. If not they will become scraggly, and flower production will decrease. There are two good methods of pruning these. First is cutting the shrub flush with the ground. This is a good no brainier method and the plant will quickly recover with fresh, new growth. This method will set the flowering back, since the shrub has to totally regrow. Another method is using pruning shears, cut the shrub back about ½ in a shape that will resemble the natural form of the shrub and remove the old gnarly stems from the shrub. Flowering isn't delayed as long as in the previous method. The earlier in the spring this is done, the sooner the plant will flower. One of my clients has me prune back these shrubs each year, since she likes the fresh, new growth of the shrub. Removal of the dead flower heads can result in a minor re bloom.