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Shrubs

Spiraea alba

pale bridewort

Small, upright thicket-forming shrub to about 1.2m tall, with narrow, sharply-serrated mid-green leaves on unbranched yellow-brown stems, and downy, terminal panicles of tiny white flowers produced in late summer

Other common names

meadow sweet
pale bridewort
see morequeen of the meadows

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–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
Plant range: N America

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in most moist soils, including wet and boggy soils, tolerant of all but the most extreme conditions, in full sun or light shade

Propagation

Propagate suckering species such as S. alba by division in late summer or early spring. Propagate by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in spring to late summer or hardwood cuttings in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Ground cover
Hedging and screens

Pruning

Pruning group 6 for spiraea flowering on current years stems, deadhead after flowering. Keep really neat and compact by cutting all stems back to within 15cm of ground level after flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free but may be susceptible to honey fungus

Get involved

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