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Shrubs

Spiraea tomentosa

steeplebush

Vigorous, deciduous, suckering shrub about 1.2m tall, forming a thicket of upright browish stems, felted when young, with yellowish-green leaves, grey-felted beneath. Purplish-pink flowers in dense, terminal panicles, appear during late summer

Other common names

steeplebush
hardhack

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Suckering
Genus: Spiraea are deciduous shrubs, sometimes suckering, with simple leaves and short racemes, panicles or corymbs of small, 5-petalled white or pink flowers in spring or summer
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist but well-drained soil in full sun or light shade

Propagation

Propagate by division in late autumn or early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Hedging and screens

Pruning

Pruning group 6 for spiraea flowering on current years stems, deadhead after flowering. Keep neat and compact by cutting all stems back to within 30cm of ground level

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free but may be susceptible to honey fungus

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