Michele Owens at SignoftheShovel is, I know, a fine person, not to mention one of the most talented writers in all of blogdom. But when she leaves this comment on my post about wiegelias, "Nice alternative to those ratty-looking spireas," I want to say - Hey, that’s my Favorite Shrub for Sun you’re talking about there - and rush to their rescue. I know you all understand.
So I present the lovely spirea ‘Snowmound’ to make the case for the not-rattiness of spireas. It’s similar to but possibly even prettier than the popular ‘Bridal Wreath,’ and here it is full-grown. The only pruning I’ve done is my usual limbing up to remove branches lying on the ground. All my other spireas are pruned regularly to make them smaller and they respond very nicely with fullness and good form. I hope to present more evidence shortly.
And for inquiring readers, here’s everything I can think of about spireas. They come in a variety of sizes, this being the largest, require a half-day of sun to bloom, are drought-tolerant, deciduous, and can be cut back after flowering for a nice second show. Blooms are white or shades of pink, and there’s even foliage colors to choose from. See the gorgeous chartreuse of ‘Ogon,‘ a new spirea that’s oh, so popular with designers. And if any of this is incorrect or incomplete, do let me know.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
M Sinclair Stevens (Texas) 05.10.06 at 5:51 pm
She was probably referring to the ratty looking spirea in my front yard. I, too, looked at your photo of the weigela with envy and thought, “Man, I’d like to have one of those to replace that spirea. I wonder if they grow here. Or are they like lilacs and tulips.”
My spirea is growing half on one side of the fence and half on the other. The entire center part is dead and I don’t know how to divide it given its position. But I can concur that it cutting back in the spring time encourages it to flower some more. That’s what I did this year and it surprised me.
Michele Owens 05.11.06 at 9:37 pm
Yeah! Vindicated by M Sinclair Stevens!
I actually planted a Bridal Wreath last year. But in the wrong spot, they are just bad.
PamL 05.11.06 at 9:56 pm
I love my Bridal Wreath. I love the graceful arching branches with the little white white flowers. I had two outside my bedroom windows as a kid and those little bouquets were perfect for Barbies many weddings! I didn’t know, back then, that she was a biggamist. Mine now is 4 years old and about 6 X 8 and I love it. I am going to head it back a little for the first time after it finshes blooming this spring.
Amy Stewart 05.11.06 at 10:41 pm
You people and your shrubs. I just can’t get excited about a shrub. Is it an east coast thing? Maybe if I had a bigger garden I’d plant a shrub. OK, there’s a tibouchina in the front yard and a hydrangea in the back, but I didn’t plant ‘em.
Oh, I suppose a buddleja is a shrub, huh? OK, that I can understand.
Allison 05.12.06 at 11:09 am
If spireas weren’t meant to grow a bit wild, then nature wouldn’t have made them that way!!
Brea 07.05.08 at 11:27 am
We had a hedge of 7 fully grown 10 year old renaissance spireas. Just the other day our neighbor ‘coppiced’ them down to one foot, right in the middle of thier growing season-they were 6 feet tall before! They were our plants but the neighbors chopped them down without even asking us!! Im going to school for landscape/horticulture and I know coppicing is a common pruning technique for certain plants in EARLY spring- but in the middle of the season!? I think they will come back- but I need some reassurance from somebody to tell me whether or not they really will.