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Spiraea (lat. Spiraea) is a genus of perennial ornamental shrubs of the Rosaceae family. There are about 100 species growing in the steppes and semi-deserts of the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere and in East Asia. It is grown in almost all regions of Russia where there is horticulture. The official name of the variety is Vangutta; in everyday life, the shrub acquired the name Spiraea Bride due to its resemblance to a lush, airy wedding dress. The plant is attractive with its spectacular appearance, hardiness, unpretentiousness and durability. Blooms profusely and is a honey plant. Spiraea Bride was bred by crossing Cantonese and triloba spirea varieties and has been cultivated since 1868.
Description of the Bride bush
Spiraea White Bride is a deciduous monoecious shrub that grows up to 2 m in height. The branches of the plant are purple in youth, later dark brown, long, climbing, drooping. Densely covered with leaves - narrow oval, short pointed, with jagged edges, 3-5 lobed, smooth, on petioles 7-8 cm long.In spring and summer, the foliage is dark green on the outside and gray on the inside; in autumn it turns orange-red.
The White Bride spirea flowers are white, in red buds, with 5 wide rounded petals, bisexual, 60-80 mm in diameter. They form numerous hemispherical inflorescences, densely located along the entire length of the branches. The plant blooms for 3 weeks from mid-June, and again in August. The decorative fruits of the Bride spirea are purple leaflets; in the southern regions they ripen at the end of July, in the middle zone - in September-October.
Spiraea White Bride in landscape design
Beginning gardeners who have not previously seen the Bride spirea need only look at the photo and read the description to immediately fall in love with it. The shrub is used in single plantings to create landscape compositions, decorate hedges and the banks of reservoirs. The combination of White Bride spirea and coniferous crops is considered traditional. A composition of several varieties against the background of a lawn looks impressive. Designers like to plant Wangutta separately so that nothing overshadows its beauty. The plant is resistant to soil and air pollution, which allows it to be used in urban landscaping and planted in industrial areas. The White Bride Bush can be cut into any shape, but in this case it will not bloom.
Planting and caring for spirea White Bride
Spiraea White Bride is planted in the spring, after warm weather sets in, and in the fall, before the leaves begin to fall. Prefers light, fertile, well-drained soils with a pH level no higher than 7. In this case, care will be the least troublesome - watering, fertilizing, pruning. Soil of a different composition for planting spirea Bride should be stabilized:
- Add sand and wood ash to dense, heavy soils;
- add humus, peat, and complex fertilizers to depleted, nutrient-poor sandstones;
- high acidity is reduced by adding lime, ash, and dolomite flour.
For harmonious development and high-quality, abundant flowering, the plant needs good lighting throughout the day. The site for planting should be chosen to be sunny, with deep groundwater.
Trees with a spreading, wide crown are an undesirable neighbor for the White Bride. They will create excessive shading, and their branched root system will interfere with the development of spirea roots. A more favorable combination is with low-growing coniferous crops - juniper, thuja, cypress.
Preparation of planting material and site
Spiraea Bride is undemanding to the soil, but grows better in sandy and loamy areas where moisture does not stagnate. For planting, you should choose a healthy, young, compact plant with unopened buds. When purchasing a White Bride seedling, you need to pay attention to its condition; a specimen that has:
- the roots are elastic, moist, well developed, without damage or blackening on the cut and with a large number of branches;
- The branches are flexible, with green bark without spots or cracks, and healthy buds.
Before planting, it is recommended to treat the roots of the plant with a fungicide and soak for a day in a solution of any root formation stimulator - Kornesil, Kornevin, Zircon.
Planting spirea White Bride
The planting hole for the Bride spirea should be quite spacious, the optimal dimensions are 50x50 cm. A drainage layer of 15-20 cm of small stones, chipped tiles, and broken bricks is laid on the bottom. The soil removed when digging a hole is mixed with turf-leaf soil and peat. A mound is formed at the bottom, on which the seedling is placed, spreading the roots evenly (if the plant is planted with a lump of earth, this step will not be necessary). 1-2 buckets of water are poured into the hole and filled to the top with the remaining soil mixture. The root collar of the plant should not be buried; it should be flush with the soil surface or slightly raised. It is recommended to cover the trunk area of the Bride spirea with a layer of mulch, which will prevent moisture evaporation and provide additional nutrition. In favorable conditions and with proper care, the bush will bloom in the 3rd year. Amateur gardeners proudly post photos of the Bride spirea on social networks and willingly share their experience in planting and care.
Watering and fertilizing
White-flowered spirea Bride tolerates heat well, but needs regular watering. The amount and frequency of irrigation depends on climatic conditions; the soil should be slightly moist all the time. Watering is best done in the evening. The soil must be loosened in a timely manner - make sure that the soil does not become crusty.
The plant should be fed 1-2 times per season, mineral complexes are preferred.In the spring, the Bride spirea will respond well to the application of nitrogen at the root and mulching with rotted manure; this will ensure good growth and abundant flowering.
In the fall, you need to limit yourself to phosphorus-potassium fertilizing in order to give the plant enough energy to survive the winter and not provoke the growth of new shoots. For this reason, nitrogen and manure are not applied from the end of summer.
Trimming
Spiraea White Bride is characterized by great growth vigor and is pruned many times throughout its life. Gardeners adhere to the following system:
- April-May - shortening of shoots. In the first years, no more than a third, from the age of 5 - half.
- Every year in the spring, the damaged parts of the plant are cut back to a healthy bud.
- Every 7 years there is a rejuvenation procedure, all branches are shortened to 25-30 cm.
- A year later in the fall, weak and thickening shoots are removed.
- An old spirea bush is cut off almost to the root, leaving a small stump with 2-3 buds. Subsequently, the young shoots are thinned out, leaving several strong shoots.
When pruning the White Bride spirea in spring, you should remember that the flowers form on last year’s shoots, they need to be protected; in the fall, you can cut out all the branches that the gardener deems necessary for rejuvenation, healing and formation of the bush. Each plant should have more young branches than old ones.
Preparing for winter
With the onset of autumn, the Bride spirea is pruned, the soil is loosened, fertilizers are applied at the root (except for nitrogen and manure), and watered abundantly. It is important not to be late with pruning, otherwise the plant will not have time to recover before the cold weather.
Spiraea White Bride is considered a frost-resistant plant, capable of withstanding temperatures up to ̶ 40˚С.An important condition is the presence of reliable snow cover; in winter it is enough to rake it up to the bush. Without relying on nature, gardeners try to help the plant (especially young ones) - they mulch the soil with straw, peat, and leaves of fruit trees. The thickness of the coating depends on the region, it can reach 20-25 cm. In anticipation of a harsh winter, all the shoots of the Brides spirea are collected in a bunch, bent to the ground, fixed, and then covered with natural or artificial material. If in winter some parts of the plant are subject to frostbite, they must be removed in the spring; the bush will quickly recover and begin to grow.
Reproduction of spirea bush Bride
Spiraea Bride is propagated by seeds, cuttings (green and lignified), layering and dividing the bush. In June, young shoots are cut out at the base, the bark at the cut site is slightly wounded for faster root formation and stuck into the ground until the first leaves. Water a little every day.
The White Bride is propagated by layering in the spring, after the buds open. Young healthy shoots are pinned to the ground, sprinkled with earth, and the soil is regularly moistened. By autumn they will have taken root and will be ready to be planted in a permanent location.
Dividing the White Bride bush is done in early spring or autumn, separating the desired part with a sharp shovel. Often gardeners dig up a whole plant and divide its root into parts so that each segment has 3-4 shoots. You need to act carefully so as not to injure the shoots.
Propagation by seeds is not used to propagate White Bride spirea; plants grown using this method do not retain the characteristics of the variety.
Diseases and pests
Spiraea Bride is little susceptible to diseases and pest attacks; it has high phytoncidal activity and is able to protect itself and the plants nearby. Defeat occurs when the immune system is weakened. In damp, cloudy weather, there is a high risk of fungal infections, which can be easily treated by treating with Bordeaux mixture and removing the affected parts of the plant. Among the insects that are dangerous for the Bride spirea are aphids, blue sawflies, bud gall midges, and spider mites. The most effective in combating them are “Phosfamide”, “Fitoverm”, “Karbofos”, a combination of granulated “Pirimora” and “Bitobaxillin”. The Bride is saved from snails and slugs by the mulch around the trunk.
Conclusion
Spiraea Bride is an unusually beautiful and spectacular plant that invariably attracts the eye. Gardeners classify it in the “self-grows” category for its undemanding conditions and care. The shrub is a long-liver - it can reach 40 years of age, being the main decoration of the garden. In the landscape it harmonizes with another Bride - Densiflora spirea, providing continuous flowering from early summer to mid-autumn.
