Japanese spirea: photos and varieties

Among the most unpretentious and fast-growing shrubs, Japanese spirea cannot but stand out. This attractive-looking ornamental shrub belongs to the Rosaceae family and is popular primarily due to its resistance to a variety of growing conditions.

Description of Japanese spirea

As the name suggests, these plants are native to Japan, although they are ubiquitous in China.The name of the plant means “bend” and, indeed, in most varieties of spirea the shoots are very flexible, branched and grow at different angles. However, there are also varieties of spirea with upright growing branches.

Natural species of Japanese spirea have an average height of 90 to 150 cm, but, thanks to the work of breeders, very miniature varieties have been bred, literally 20-30 cm in height.

Spirea attracts many gardeners not only with its abundant and long-lasting flowering. Most varieties have very elegant leaves. Moreover, they begin to dress up from the very moment of blossoming, in the spring, when they are painted in various shades of orange, pink and red. In summer, many varieties of spirea have green leaves, but there are also those whose color remains yellow or golden. And in autumn the foliage appears in all the splendor of warm shades of the rainbow.

Spiraea shoots also look very attractive. When young they have felt-like pubescence, and over time they become smooth, but are colored in purple-brown shades.

Spiraea leaves can have different shapes: from oblong-lanceolate to oval-ovate. Along the edges of the leaves there are usually denticles of various sizes.

Flowering of one shoot can last on average about 1.5 months. Many varieties are capable of a repeated, although not so abundant, wave of flowering. To do this, spirea only needs to be fed and faded inflorescences trimmed. Color shades are usually in the pink-red-violet range. And the flowers themselves are complex corymbose inflorescences, slightly flattened in shape.The shiny capsules contain seeds, about 2-2.5 mm long, which ripen well in Russian conditions.

Japanese spirea begins to bear fruit when it reaches 4 years of age, and the life expectancy of a shrub in one place is on average 15-18 years. Growing and caring for Japanese spirea is not particularly difficult.

Due to its unpretentiousness and frost resistance, spirea is actively used to decorate gardens and parks throughout almost the entire territory of Russia from the European part to the Far East and in the north, up to the Polar regions. In especially cold winters, the well-rooted above-ground part of the plants may freeze, but in the summer it has time to grow and even bloom.

Japanese spirea in garden design

Spiraea is a very grateful plant and fits well into almost any landscape composition. What is also very attractive about it is that from the moment the first leaves appear until the very frost, the decorative value of the bush practically does not decrease. In spring and autumn, the bushes attract with their bright foliage, and throughout the summer months they are decorated with delicate, airy, smoky or colorful flowers.

In addition, spirea are not picky towards their neighbors and feel good in any environment. They are not characterized by aggressive root shoots, but they are easy to reproduce. And their good foliage of shoots makes it possible to use spirea to cover taller and exposed shoots of other ornamental plants (mock orange, lilac, viburnum).

The shortest varieties of Japanese spirea are often used as single plantings in small rock gardens or to create a dense flowering carpet over vast areas of rocky hills.

Plants of medium height feel good in various kinds of flower beds and mixborders, where they are successfully combined even with perennial flowers.

Spiraea are surprisingly suitable for framing free-standing coniferous trees and fit well into any composition with conifers.

But they look best in large groups, such as hedges or borders.

Japanese spirea hedge

For creating hedges, fairly tall varieties of spirea, the height of which reaches 80 cm or more, are most suitable: Sparkling Champagne, Frobeli, Fortunnei. The bushes tolerate regular pruning well and grow a lot of greenery. But it should be understood that flowering in the case of regular pruning will be relegated to the background, and it can only be expected next year. Therefore, this technique is suitable for more southern regions, where plants do not freeze heavily during the winter.

Japanese spirea border

But almost any variety of Japanese spirea is suitable as a border. Bushes with a spherical growth form will look especially good. You can use a border to decorate garden paths, make an edging for the lawn, and even carry out some zoning of territories.

You can use one variety of spirea or alternate varieties with different leaf colors. Or even with other suitable plants: deutzia, turf.

Varieties of Japanese spirea

Breeders are actively working to develop new varieties of Japanese spirea, and the vast majority of them are bred in countries near or far abroad. They differ mainly in height, shape of bushes, flowering period, leaf color and shades of flower color.

Spiraea japonica Sparkling Champagne

In recent years, breeding has been developing particularly intensively towards the production of small, compact types of plants. Spiraea Sparkling Champagne is an exception. This shrub reaches a height of 100 cm and even higher, and its dense crown can grow up to 150 cm in width. The variety is ideal for creating hedges. Belongs to a very common group of spirea with constantly changing leaf color. In spring, the young leaves of the plants turn a rich burgundy-orange color. By summer they turn light green, and in autumn they begin to glow in various shades of yellow and red.

Spiraea Sparkling Champagne blooms mainly in June-July.

The flowers themselves are pink and white, and the long stamens have red anthers. If the inflorescences are cut off, the plants may bloom again closer to autumn.

Frobeli

Another rather tall variety of spirea, reaching 1 meter in height. Using the example of a photo of its leaves with shoots, you can clearly see how the shade of their purple color changes from spring to autumn.

This is what young shoots of Frobeli spirea look like in spring with the inflorescences that form.

In the summer, already from June, the bushes of the Japanese spirea Frobeli are covered with large pink inflorescences with a diameter of up to 12 cm, and the foliage becomes green.

And in the fall, the leaves of this spirea variety acquire an even more interesting color.

Over the course of a year, the shoots grow by about 10 cm. In addition, this variety is the most resistant to cold and undemanding to soil.

Spiraea japonica Jenpei

This variety of Japanese spirea, one of the most interesting in terms of the color of its inflorescences, is also called Shirobana or tricolor spirea.

The height of the bush is average, 60-80 cm, the shoots are reddish-brown, and the leaves do not change their shade during the growing season, remaining dark green all the time. But the inflorescences are distinguished by truly original colors - they can simultaneously contain flowers in white, soft pink and red shades. The flowering period of plants is slightly delayed closer to the second half of summer.

Spiraea japonica Manon

A medium-sized variety (60-80 cm) with leaves that change color three times a year, from red, through green, to rich orange-reddish. The crown is compact, spherical. The spirea variety Manon is highly sensitive to compacted soils and does not tolerate constant waterlogging. The variety is characterized by drought resistance.

Starting in July, lilac-pink flowers appear on Manon spirea bushes.

Spiraea japonica Country Red

A variety characterized by green leaves during spring and summer and predominantly upright growing shoots. The leaves turn yellow and red only in autumn. Spiraea Country Red does not grow more than 80 cm in height.

Flowers of dark pink shades appear in July-August.

Anthony Waterer

Anthony Waterer is one of the most impressively beautiful inflorescences of Japanese spirea varieties. The inflorescences can reach a diameter of 15 cm and have a bright, rich crimson color.

The height of bushes of this variety usually does not exceed 80 cm (they grow rather slowly), but a spherical crown can be created only through artificial pruning. Because the branches grow mostly straight and very spread out in different directions.

Spiraea Anthony Waterer is frost-resistant, but the tips of the shoots may freeze. However, the bushes quickly recover, including due to root growth.

The leaves of this spirea are also decorative throughout the warm season, as they traditionally change color from spring to autumn.

Japanese Spiraea Double Play

The Double Play series of spirea varieties includes several varieties.

• Double Play Artist
  
  Quite tall shrubs, reaching 90-100 cm in height and the same size in width. The variety is characterized by very decorative foliage, which, as usual, changes three times a year, but by autumn it becomes purple-violet in color. Bright dark pink flowers bloom from early summer and can form until autumn, when faded inflorescences are removed.
  
• Double Play Big Bang
  
  A variety of spirea that has a unique foliage color that lacks green shades. In spring the leaves are orange, in summer they turn into various yellowish shades, in order to turn red-orange in autumn. No less interesting is the flowering of these shrubs, which can last from June to August. The flowers themselves are large and pink in color. The height of the spirea plant of this variety reaches 80 cm with a crown diameter of up to 100 cm.
  
• Double Play Gold
  Small bushes (50-60 cm) with leaves of an original color, which changes during the season in all shades of yellow. The flowers, which appear from the beginning of June, are pink and medium in size.
  

Golden Princess

One of the most popular varieties among gardeners is the Japanese spirea, whose leaves on the shoots are not green, but yellow. In summer, the yellow tint fades slightly and becomes greenish, but in the fall it acquires a pronounced pink color.

It should be cut out as soon as possible so as not to pollute the cleanliness of the bush.

The height of the Japanese Golden Princess spirea is about 1 m, it blooms in pink-lilac color.

Spiraea japonica Candlelight

Another remarkable variety of spirea, which does not have shoots with green leaves. In terms of size, it can already be classified as a dwarf variety of Japanese spirea, since the bushes do not grow higher than 50 cm. But in width they grow up to 50-60 cm.

Young leaves of Candlelight spirea are distinguished by a creamy yellow hue, which turns into bright yellow in summer. Against this background, small pink flowers (up to 8 cm in diameter) that bloom in mid-summer look attractive. In autumn, the leaves acquire the traditional orange-red color.

Spiraea japonica Nana

The Japanese spirea variety Nana is already classified as a dwarf variety. Bushes no more than 50 cm high have a dense crown with a diameter of up to 80 cm. Plants are ideal for borders. The leaves traditionally change color from reddish to green and back to orange-red. The flowers also have a red-pink hue.

Majik Carpet

The variety is known as Walbuma, was bred in England and received its trade name (“Magic Carpet”) for its cushion-like dense crown, which endlessly changes the shades of the leaves. In spring they are copper-red in color, turning bright yellow in summer. But this shade appears only in bright sunlight; in partial shade, the leaves acquire a rather golden-greenish color. Well, in the fall there is a clear bias towards a reddish-red color.

Japanese spirea MagicCarpet grows small, up to 50 cm in height, but is widely spread across the diameter of the crown. The flowers are small, pink, and appear from June to September.Despite their small size, plants of this variety grow and form quickly.

Spiraea japonica Dwarf

The full name of the variety is Japanese Dwarf, which translated from English means “Japanese dwarf”. This is one of the smallest and slowest growing varieties of Japanese spirea. It reaches a height of only 30 cm, and every year its shoots grow by only 5 cm. It is characterized by abundant flowering from the beginning of summer. Spiraea Japanese Dwarf is a bit similar to the famous old variety Little Princess. The flowers are also small, pink, but do not fade in the sun.

Initially green, oval-shaped leaves turn orange by autumn.

Planting Japanese spirea

Although Japanese spirea plants are very unpretentious to their growing conditions, proper planting in any case will ensure the seedling's health for many years and will greatly facilitate its care.

Landing dates

Shrubs can be planted both in spring and autumn. But for most regions of Russia, spring planting is still preferable, since the young spirea seedling has a lot of time ahead to successfully take root and grow a good root system. And since the Japanese beauty blooms only in summer, it will have time to lay buds.

However, in the southern regions it is quite possible to plant spirea in the autumn. The main thing is to do this before frost sets in.

Preparing the soil for Japanese spirea

Plants do not have any special requirements for soil. Of course, in a fertile substrate the splendor and duration of flowering will increase. In addition, it is better if the acidity is slightly increased.Therefore, if possible, you can add a little peat to the planting hole.

Seedling preparation

In order not to have future problems with the health of spirea plants, and also to know exactly what to expect from them, you should purchase seedlings in garden centers, nurseries or specialized stores.

When purchasing bare-rooted spirea bushes, you should inspect them carefully to ensure they are viable and not dry. Rotten or dry roots are cut with pruning shears to the living area. Before planting, healthy roots are shortened by 20-30 cm and the seedlings are placed in a bucket of water for several hours.

The shoots should be elastic, bend well, and the buds should be alive. But fully blossomed leaves on the shoots are undesirable, since such seedlings take root less well.

Spiraea seedlings with a closed root system are either watered abundantly or placed to soak in moisture in a container of water.

Landing rules

It should be understood that the root system of spirea is superficial and grows in width over a considerable distance. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a distance of at least 50 cm between bushes when planting.

The hole for planting is dug a little larger than the volume of the roots of the seedling; it is advisable to make its walls vertical. If possible, it is better to let the dug hole stand for several days before planting. Then it is filled to 5-7 cm with any type of drainage (stones, broken bricks) and half with soil from the garden mixed with peat and sand.

The root system is lowered into the hole, straightened and sprinkled with the remaining soil mixture, lightly compacting. The root collar of the seedling should be directly at soil level. After planting, the seedling is shed with 1-2 buckets of water.

How to care for Japanese spirea

Caring for spirea is simple and does not take much time. By and large, only seedlings require special attention in the first or second year after planting.

Watering and fertilizing

Regular watering (1-2 times a month) is required only for seedlings in the first year after planting. Approximately 15 liters of water are poured under one bush. In the future, the plants are watered only in particularly dry and hot weather, if rain does not fall for more than a week in a row.

In the first year after planting, you can feed the seedling with a mullein solution diluted in 10 liters of water. Synthetic fertilizers are used starting from the second year of planting, usually in the period after pruning, to give additional strength to spirea plants.

How and when to prune Japanese spirea

All varieties of Japanese spirea belong to summer-flowering varieties. Therefore, pruning is most often done in the spring. In the first 3 years after planting, exclusively sanitary pruning of the bushes is carried out, removing diseased, dry, frozen and weak branches in May. The first rejuvenating, that is, cardinal, pruning is recommended to be carried out no earlier than the fourth year of the seedling’s life, when it has time to take root well. In the fourth year in the spring, it is recommended to prune the Japanese spirea bushes low, at a distance of 30 cm above the ground. Then feed it well. This will give the plant strength to form a luxurious flowering bush.

In the future, pruning is carried out depending on what is expected from the plants: flowering or creating a hedge or border. Once every two years, old shoots must be shortened, since flowering occurs only on young shoots of the current season.

Preparing for winter

Only seedlings of the first year of life and in regions where, along with severe frosts, there is low snow cover, may need special protection from winter frosts. They need to be covered with earth and leaves, and the lower part covered with geotextiles. In the future, all parts of the plants that are under the snow will be reliably protected from frost, and other freezing shoots will be removed in the spring, and they will quickly grow back.

Features of growing Japanese spirea in Siberia

Most of the spirea varieties described above are quite adapted to the harsh conditions of Siberia. After all, for this shrub the main thing is that during frosty winters there is enough snow.

The following varieties are considered especially frost-resistant:

• Alpine;
• Reddish;
• Naked;
• Little Princess;
• Frobeli;
• Firelight.

If in the European part of Russia it is allowed to plant Japanese spirea in partial shade, then planting in Siberian conditions is carried out exclusively in sunny places, where caring for it will not be complicated by other closely located plants. At the same time, they try not to be overzealous with watering, especially if the summer is cold and cloudy.

Seedlings are planted exclusively in the spring so that they have time to take root well before the onset of cold weather.

In regions with the harshest climates, it may even be necessary to insulate spirea bushes for the winter. Typically, the area around the trunk circle is covered with sawdust or humus so that the layer thickness is at least 20 cm. The bushes themselves can be insulated with spruce branches and covered with non-woven material.

Japanese spirea blooming

Depending on the variety, spirea can bloom either in early June or early July.The flowering period lasts on average about 50 days. If you cut off faded inflorescences, new ones will soon form on the bushes, and flowering can be extended until September. And in the southern regions until October.

How to propagate Japanese spirea

There are 4 main ways to propagate this shrub: cuttings, layering, seeds and dividing the bush. But for ordinary gardeners, only the first two methods have practical application. The last two are usually reserved for professionals.

Propagation of Japanese spirea by cuttings

The easiest way to propagate spirea is by cuttings, because the rooting rate is about 70% even without the use of root formation stimulants. And with them it reaches 100%. Since semi-lignified shoots take root best, this process is usually carried out in the fall, in September or October. Having cut out a strong shoot, divide it into several parts with 4-5 leaves on each.

The bottom sheet is removed completely, the rest are shortened by half the length. After soaking the lower cut for 2-3 hours in water, the cuttings are planted in a light substrate at an angle of 45 ° to a depth of 2 cm. They are placed in a shaded place, and for the winter they are covered with dry leaves and covered with a box. After a year, the cuttings can be planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction by layering

It is even easier to propagate the Japanese guest using layering. True, in this case it is difficult to obtain a lot of planting material. In the spring, when the shoots grow, several branches are laid on the ground, sprinkled with soil and fixed with a stone or wire. The tip of the shoot should be visible - a peg is often tied to it. With regular watering of the laid shoots, they will take root without any problems by the next season.

Propagation by seeds

Propagating this shrub by seeds requires a lot of patience.

In addition, the seed method is not suitable for all varieties. Some hybrid forms cannot be grown using seeds - they reproduce only vegetatively. Spiraea seeds do not need stratification - they can be sown at any time of the year. Usually they are sown on the surface of light soil, without covering them, but only by covering the boxes with the sowing with glass or film. After the shoots emerge, the film is removed. And when the sprouts reach a height of 2 cm, they can be pruned. A year later, the grown plants are planted in open ground, not forgetting to cover them for the winter.

Reproduction of Japanese spirea by dividing the bush

Spirea bushes can be divided in summer or early autumn. During the summer, it is important to choose cloudy or rainy weather for the procedure.

The selected bush is dug in a circle, trying to capture most of the crown projection. Some of the roots, of course, will inevitably be damaged. They are carefully unraveled and divided into parts, each of which should contain several strong stems and rhizomes. The root sections are treated with crushed coal and each part is planted in a hole prepared in advance. In sunny weather, the transplanted bushes are watered almost every other day.

Diseases and pests

Japanese spirea bushes usually exhibit high disease resistance and rarely suffer from pests. In hot and dry weather, spider mites may become more active, and sometimes young shoots and leaves may suffer from an invasion of aphids or leaf roller caterpillars.

You should first fight them using traditional methods, spraying the bushes with a solution of tobacco dust, or infusions of garlic and tomato tops.As a last resort, acaricidal drugs are used against ticks, and insecticides against aphids and caterpillars.

Conclusion

Japanese spirea is an easy-to-care, unpretentious plant in terms of growth conditions, and a very decorative and functional plant. It’s easy to grow even for a beginner, and the variety of varieties will help you make the right choice.

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