Spiraea: photo and description of the shrub, varieties and species, winter hardiness

Russian gardeners, professionals and amateurs, looking at the photo and description of the spirea shrub, set the goal of purchasing and planting a seedling on their site. The variety of varieties and species, ease of care for them - these are the main criteria that allow spirea to occupy a leading position in the market of ornamental plants.

What does spirea look like?

The history of the appearance of the bush goes back to Ancient Greece, where it got its name, which literally means “spiral”.

Spiraea, or colloquially meadowsweet, is a deciduous shrub from 15 cm to 2.5 m (sometimes up to 3 m) in height with creeping, erect, spreading or recumbent branches. The bark of the shrub is characterized by longitudinal peeling.

The variety of shapes of the meadowsweet leaf blade is determined by the specific variety or species.Meadowsweet leaves are:

petiolate;
next;
three-lobed;
five-lobed;
lanceolate;
rounded.

The peduncles of shrubs also have differences, depending on their shape, structure and type. The resulting inflorescences can take various forms:

shields;
spikelets;
pyramids;
panicles.

The color palette of flowering spireas is also incredibly rich - from virgin white to deep crimson, located throughout the branch or only at its end.

Root formation in meadowsweet occurs quite quickly, which is due to the easy survival rate and unpretentiousness of the shrub. The roots do not go deep, but are located more in the horizontal plane, closer to the surface of the soil, and have a fibrous shape.

Absolutely any methods are suitable for propagating meadowsweet:

Generative - propagation by seeds.
Vegetative – propagation by layering, dividing the bush and cuttings.

Unpretentiousness, resistance to stress and the possibility of forming a shrub are the most important factors for which landscape designers fell in love with meadowsweet.

Varieties of Spiraea

The genus of meadowsweet has from 80 to 100 varieties, which are divided among themselves according to flowering dates:

Spring-flowering.
Summer flowering.
Autumn-flowering.

Depending on the timing of appearance, the color of the peduncles also differs:

in spring-blooming flowers the flowers are painted in various shades of white;
in summer-flowering ones, the color of the inflorescences ranges from snow-white to red-pink;
Autumn-flowering plants have a predominant purple color scheme.

Many gardeners believe that spirea is an excellent honey plant.This opinion is true, but only half - it attracts bees with its aroma only partly, because it blooms during the period of mass flowering of other honey plants. It is safe to say that spirea honey does not exist in nature, but when purchasing acacia honey, you can be sure that it also contains meadowsweet pollen.

Types and varieties of spirea

Meadowsweet bushes are so diverse in their appearance, shapes and the number of hybrids that each species and variety should be described in more detail.

Spiraea white

The name Spiraea albiflora or white spirea is quite justified, due to the presence of virgin white flower stalks on it. Their appearance is more like 15-centimeter pyramid panicles.

The main habitat of this species is North America, and in Russia it can be found extremely rarely under natural conditions.

The shrub grows slowly and only after 10 years can it reach 2 m in height, acquiring a spherical shape. This is due to the flexibility of the shoots, ribbed shape and red-purple color, the location of the peduncles, which are located at the ends of the shoots.

The leaf plate has a curly shape, thanks to clearly defined serrations and quite large dimensions, 7 cm long and 2 cm wide.

In terms of flowering time, white meadowsweet can be classified as an autumn-flowering plant, since flower stalks appear towards the end of July and last until the end of August. This variety of meadowsweet is capable of producing fruits, and their appearance begins in late September or early October.

Attention! The excellent flexibility of the branches was most appreciated by landscape designers.

White meadowsweet, in their opinion, is excellent for both solitary and combined landscape projects.

White meadowsweet is not only a variety, but also a species. White-flowering shrubs also include spirea:

Vanhoutte (Spiraea x vanhouttei);
Nipponian (Spiraea Rainbow Girls);
Thunberg (Spiraeathunbergii);
gray (Spiraea x cinerea).

These varieties are united by the presence of white peduncles and the fact that they are all early-flowering spirea.

Spiraea pink

The decorative appearance of the shrub is due to its relatively short height, and we can safely say that it is a bush spirea. An adult, fully formed bush reaches 1.5 m in height and forms a crown 1.5 m in circumference. Shoots located strictly vertically can grow 20 cm in a year.

The leaf blades look like a 10-centimeter ellipse, the color of bright spring green. As the name suggests, the flower stalks are painted in soft pink tones and look like lush panicles.

Of all the variety of meadowsweet varieties, the pink one is the most resistant to low winter temperatures. This factor was the main reason for the popularity of rose meadowsweet among Siberian gardeners.

Pink-flowering shrubs, as well as white-flowering ones, include the following varieties of spirea:

Japanese (more than 20 species);
Macrophylla;
willow;
Douglas;
Bumalda.

The Candelight spirea, which belongs to the group of Japanese miniature spireas, deserves special attention.

This shrub is very compact and slow growing. At the 5th year of life it reaches a maximum size of 0.5 m in height and width. The leaf blades are yellow in color with a light creamy tint; from June to August, quite large shields of pinkish inflorescences up to 8 cm in diameter stand out brightly against their background.

This type of spirea, which blooms all summer, has won respect among landscape designers.It is one of the few varieties that cope excellently with polluted urban air and severe winter frosts.

Important! Meadowsweet prefers fertile and well-drained sites.

Spiraea yellow

The name “yellow” meadowsweet is due to the color of the leaf blades of the shrub. Some species do not change it throughout the season, while in others the color of the leaf blade changes from bright yellow to fiery orange.

Yellow-leaved species include spirea:

Goldflame;
Gold Mount;
Golden Princess;
Sparkling Carpet;
Golden Carpet;
Valbuma (Magic Carpet);
Fire Light;
Golden Fountain.

Spiraea average

Spiraeamedia or middle spirea is a tall shrub, reaching 3 m. Its natural distribution area is the Eurasian temperate zone.

The branches growing straight upward form a rounded crown. The leaf blade is slightly pubescent and resembles an elongated, pointed ellipse with jagged edges of a green-yellow color.

The average meadowsweet blooms only in the 5th year, forming white shields of flowers, evenly spaced on the branch with a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. Flowering begins in mid-May and ends by early June.

Distinctive features of this variety of meadowsweet are:

frost resistance;
drought resistance;
gas resistance.

The combination of these factors allows the use of medium meadowsweet for landscaping parks, gardens and flower beds of any city and industrial enterprises.

Spiraea rowan leaf

The spirea shrub received this name because of its leaf plates reminiscent of mountain ash, and sometimes people simply call this variety “rowanberry”.

At a younger age of the shrub, the color of the leaves is closer to pink, and as it matures it changes to a bright green color.

Meadowsweet blooms from June to September, with beautiful, fragrant, white pyramidal panicles up to 25 cm in length.

This species is endowed by nature with an excellent root system, which allows the shrub to be planted on loose cliffs in order to strengthen the soil on the slope.

The variety of varietal forms of this species allows the shrub to be used in landscaping. In group plantings, rowan-leaved spirea looks great with euonymus, derain, weigela and conifers.

Spiraea viburnum

Judging by the name, you can immediately imagine this type of shrub. It is thanks to the similarity with viburnum leaves that this name became popular among the people. This variety of meadowsweet has up to 10 species. Several of them, in addition to viburnum-shaped leaves, form inflorescences that from a distance resemble clusters of viburnum.

The meadowsweet shrub is quite large in size and can reach 4 m in height. The decorative effect of a bush depends entirely on the color of the leaf plates, which can be:

colors of spring green or yellow-lemon shade;
burgundy, scarlet or orange color.

Spiraea crenate

Spiraeacrenata or crenate spirea cannot boast of high growth; at its maximum it reaches only a meter in height, while forming a rather loose crown shape. The southeast of the Russian Federation, the Caucasus region and Altai - only in the climatic conditions of these regions can meadowsweet be seen in its natural growing conditions.

The leaf blade is elongated, reaching a size of 5 cm, and is distinguished by its green color with a slight ashy coating.Sometimes, due to the similarity in the color of the leaf blades, this variety is confused with Gerstein spirea and Oakleaf spirea.

Peduncles, white with a slight yellowish tint, appear by mid-July for only 3 weeks in the form of a small umbrella.

This plant rarely appears on personal plots, but for landscape designers, meadowsweet has become a godsend.

Important! When choosing a site for planting shrubs, you should give preference to well-lit places or light partial shade.

Spiraea Japanise Dwarf

This variety of shrub belongs to the border spirea, since even in adulthood the plant’s growth does not exceed 30 cm.

The flower stalks are pale pink in color and are located at the tops of the branches. The shrub is capable of producing its first flowers by mid-June, and by the end of July the small saucer-shaped flower stalks disappear.

Only in the fall does the leaf blade of the bush change from a “green dress” to an “orange sundress.” It was this feature that made it possible to draw the attention of landscape designers to the Japanese Dwarf bush.

The same ability to change the color of the leaf blade is present in Magnum Rose spirea. But it is impossible to confuse them with each other, since the Magnum Rose shrub is not short-growing, its growth reaches 120 cm in height, and the Japanese Dwarf shrub can be described as a creeping spirea.

Spiraea Manon

The beauty of the compact Manon meadowsweet shrub lies in the varied colors of the leaf blade. The bush is quite small in height and width, 80 and 60 cm, respectively. Throughout the season, the color of the leaves can change:

blossoming, the leaves turn reddish;
in summer the color changes to emerald green;
in autumn the leaves become covered with a red-orange purple.

Meadowsweet Manon can be classified as an autumn-flowering variety, since the pale pink shields of the inflorescences delight the eye throughout the summer and autumn months. The shields are located on the tops of the branches, which gives the bush a regular rounded shape, and from a distance it looks like a pink ball.

Gardeners have noted a great similarity in size, color of leaves and peduncles between the spirea Zigunerblut and Manon. This sometimes leads to some confusion.

Spiraea dense-flowered

Meadowsweet received this name because of the dense and rather large shields-inflorescences of pink color, capable of reaching 10-12 cm in diameter. The shrub itself is not very tall and can grow only 80 cm, while the diameter of the crown will be at least a meter.

By autumn, the color of the leaf blades changes from emerald green to fiery orange.

A type of densely flowered meadowsweet includes the variety of Japanese multi-colored spirea Shirobana, which has dense shields of two-color inflorescences.

Spiraea Sparkling Champagne

A relatively short shrub of this variety is capable of decorating a garden with almost all the colors of the rainbow throughout the growing season. In spring, the leaf blade is painted in red-pink tones, which become similar to the color of lime closer to summer. The flower stalks look like small clusters located at the ends of the branches and last throughout the summer.

The growth of the shrub does not exceed 80 cm, and because of this it has gained popularity among landscape designers.

Spiraea Cantonica

This shrub can grow up to 180 cm. But the main beauty lies in the drooping branches that can form a spherical crown.In June, Cantonese meadowsweet looks like a snow-white ball, thanks to the lush, medium-sized shields of peduncles.

Spiraea redleaf

The Frobeli shrub, which is most often called red-leaved meadowsweet, can boast of the red color of its leaf blades.

In the spring, the leaf plate is painted purple mother-of-pearl, in the summer it changes color to diamond green, and by autumn the foliage is transformed; from afar, the bush looks like a burning fire.

The bush blooms throughout the summer and in September, covered with crimson-colored peduncles.

Important! The shrub needs pruning, both rejuvenating and sanitary.

Spiraea serrata

The shrub got its name because of the beautiful shape of the carved leaf plates - the edges of the elliptical leaves have clearly defined serrations. Most often it is called "Argutta". The shrub is tall, capable of reaching 200 cm in height and 300 cm in width. And drooping branches with snow-white peduncles make the bush look like a waterfall. Sometimes Argutta is confused with columbine spirea due to the similarity of branches and color of peduncles.

Spiraea Pink Spuckler can also be classified as sharp-toothed, since its leaf blade is very similar to the leaves of Argutta.

Spiraea paniculata

A tall shrub, capable of reaching 200 cm in height, is extremely beautiful during flowering. The lilac flower stalks that appear in spirea look like large panicles up to 20 cm in height, which was the reason for the name “paniculate”.

Paniculate inflorescences have many spirea, whose peduncles vary in inflorescence color - white, pink or lilac. These include Billard's meadowsweet and willow meadowsweet.

Spiraea June Bride

The shrub belongs to the Nippon spirea variety.Sometimes in descriptions you can find the name of the shrub as “spirea Junia Bright”.

The bush is medium, reaching 150 cm in height and diameter. Two-color leaf plate:

on top - the color of rich green;
underneath – smoky-ashy shade.

Peduncles appear in the spring in the second decade of May and remain on the bush until mid-June, decorating the bush with small shields of milky flowers.

Meadowsweet June Bride is resistant to air pollution and is able to decorate any garden area with its presence. An important factor is the shade tolerance of the spirea of this variety.

Spiraea Mount

The shrub called "Mount" is more popular under the name "Gold Mount". This name was given to the plant because of the color scheme of the leaves, which can change color depending on the planting location:

in sunny areas the color is golden and yellow;
in the shade the foliage turns only emerald green.

Despite its miniature height, which does not exceed 60 cm, the plant has a rather chic cushion-shaped crown, reaching 120 cm in diameter. Regardless of the planting location, by autumn the leaf blade changes color to fiery red.

Pale pink flower stalks appear in July, and by October the shrub enters the fruiting phase.

Spiraea Neon Flash

A shrub 90 cm high is capable of changing the color of the leaf plate three times per season:

In spring the color is closer to red.
In summer it turns emerald green.
In autumn it plays with red crimson.

Peduncles delight the eye throughout the summer, and after formative pruning, Neon Flash meadowsweet is able to show new shield-shaped inflorescences of a fiery red color by the end of September.

Important! The shrub is quite drought-resistant and requires moderate watering.

Spiraea dwarf

The shrub is a hybrid that was obtained by crossing Spira Hacket and creeping. The height of the plant never exceeds 0.3 m and is considered a ground cover. Of all the variety of varieties and species, dwarf meadowsweet is the only variety of such low growth.

Despite all its attractiveness, this plant has not become widespread and popular among gardeners.

Spiraea St. John's wort

Meadowsweet is one of the tallest shrubs of this family, capable of growing up to 3 m in height. For the similarity of the leaf blades with St. John's wort, the plant was given this name. The shrub blooms for only 15 days, starting in May, with white, rather small flowers located along the entire length of the branches.

Spirea Country Red

The shrub belongs to the species of Japanese spirea, no more than 80 cm in height. The entire growing season, the leaf blade remains painted in dark tones of green, and by autumn it changes its “green outfit” to a fiery orange “dress”. The prefix “Red” in the name does not mean that the shrub has a predominant color of red, but the closest thing to this color scheme is the large shields of peduncles that appear and do not disappear all summer.

Spiraea Fujino Pink

Most often, the prefix “Thunberg” can be found in the name of this shrub. Meadowsweet Fujino Pink attracts attention with drooping branches and changing color of peduncles - from pink to snow-white. The maximum height is 150 cm, with a mandatory size of 200 cm in crown diameter. Meadowsweet Fujino Pink tends to change leaf color throughout the season:

spring – greenish-yellow;
summer – bright green;
autumn - fiery red.

Spiraea densiflora

Meadowsweet Densiflora is a type of densely flowered spirea. The shrubs are exactly alike in their shoots, leaf blades, shape and size of peduncles. The only difference between them is the color scheme of the emerging inflorescences - in the Densiflora meadowsweet they are virgin white, for which the people nicknamed the shrub “bride”.

Spiraea triloba

The decorative appearance of three-lobed meadowsweet is given by leaf plates that look like 3 fused figured lobes, painted smoky green underneath. The bush is covered with small white shields for 15 days, starting in mid-June, and at the end of September the fruits ripen on the branches.

Winter hardiness of spirea

Meadowsweet is a winter-hardy shrub. And even branches frozen in winter can quickly recover after sanitary pruning. In most cases, spirea is not covered for the winter, but if the gardener has such a desire, then the meadowsweet can be covered in the fall with spruce branches, peat or covering material.

Conclusion

Photos and descriptions of the spirea shrub and the varieties and species discussed in the article allow us to conclude that this plant is unpretentious and quite decorative. Minimal care and high winter hardiness have long been noticed by gardeners and landscape designers, which is why the shrub has become so popular in recent years.

Spiraea: types and varieties, photos, description