Clouds of tiny white or pink flowers smother the arching branches, in spring or, depending on the variety, in high summer. Meadowsweet (Spiraea) is an easy, hardy shrub for hedges, standalones or beds, and a great choice for pollinators; give it sun and well-drained soil and it asks for almost nothing more.
| Name | Spiraea sp, Spirea |
|---|---|
| Family | Rosaceae |
| Type | shrub |
| Height | 6 ½ feet (2 meters) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | ordinary, well drained |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | spring or summer depending on the variety |
Planting, pruning and caring for it are steps that will help enhance blooming and growth of your meadowsweet.
Meadowsweet is planted rather in fall or in spring for specimens purchased in containers.
In order to sustain the blooming of your meadowsweet, choose a sunlit or partly shaded area.
For meadowsweet planted in spring, ready yourself to water at regular intervals during the 1st year after planting.
Propagate through cuttings at the end of winter. Cuttings is indeed the easiest and surest technique to propagate meadowsweet.
If properly settled in, meadowsweet requires very little care and maintenance.
Remove wilted flowers regularly to extend the blooming period as much as possible.
It is possible to not prune meadowsweet, as for all shrubs.
But if you prune your meadowsweet right after the blooming, you’ll increase the following year’s blooming both in quality and quantity.
Spring-flowering species are pruned just after flowers have fallen off.
Summer-flowering species are pruned at the end of winter, towards the month of early spring. This includes Spirea japonica.
Meadowsweet is a beautiful shrub, generally blooming in spring although some varieties may bloom in summer. Great choice to support pollinators in your area.
It is very easy to care for and quite hardy. It adapts well to most soil and climate types.
Its hardiness to freezing stands down to 5°F (-15°C).
Certain meadowsweet cultivars are dwarf cultivars and are particularly well-suited to growing in pots.
You can set meadowsweet up either as a hedge, a standalone or in shrub beds.
Among the many interesting species and varieties of meadowsweet, take note of:
Read also on the topic of shrubs:
The species differ mainly in when they flower and in the size and colour of the blooms, and that in turn decides when you prune them. Use the table to match a spirea to the season you want covered.
| Species | Flowers | Flowering time | When to prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirea arguta | Tiny white flowers | Spring | Just after the flowers have fallen off |
| Spirea japonica | Pink or white flowers | midsummer and late summer | End of winter, towards early spring |
| Spirea prunifolia | Large white flowers | Spring | Just after the flowers have fallen off |
| Spirea thunbergii | Small white flowers | Spring | Just after the flowers have fallen off |
| Spirea vanhouttei | Small white flowers in bunches | Spring | Just after the flowers have fallen off |
Whichever you grow, pruning right after the blooming increases the following year’s flowering in both quality and quantity.
The center of the shrub must be pruned often in order to ensure that as much light reaches down inside as it can.
