Spiraea × vanhouttei
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Spiraea × vanhouttei

Spirea · Van Houtte's Spiraea · Van Houtte's Meadowsweet · Spiraea x vanhouttei

Tier 2 Difficulty: medium Water: low Toxicity: low
Water every
3 days
Hardiness
Zone 3–8
Click count
588
Observations
4,458

Description

Source: leafsnap

Spiraea x vanhouttei, commonly known as Vanhoutte spirea, is a deciduous shrub in the Rosaceae family. A hybrid of two Spiraea species, it was first introduced in the late 19th century. This plant typically reaches 5-8 feet in height and width, featuring arching branches adorned with small green leaves. From late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of small white flowers that blanket the plant and emit a sweet fragrance. Vanhoutte spirea prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade, and it adapts well to various soil types as long as they are well-draining. Once established, it is also drought-tolerant. Due to its attractive foliage and showy flowers, this shrub is versatile and can be used in various landscape settings such as borders, hedges, or mass plantings. Additionally, it attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies. Overall, Spiraea x vanhouttei is an easy-to-grow shrub with ornamental value, adding beauty to any garden or landscape design.

Care Guide

💧 Water Every 3 days

Bridal wreath spirea prefers to grow in well-drained moist soil though it is able to withstand some periods of drought. Water the plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.

Suggested frequency: Every 3 days
☀️ Light
🌡️ Temperature

This plant is quite hardy, surviving cold winter and hot summer temperatures. The ideal climate is within the hardiness zones. It does not have any humidity needs.

💨 Humidity
Humidity:
🪴 Soil
🌱 Fertilizer
🪴 Pot & Repot
✂️ Pruning

You may find yourself needing to control some suckers that pop up if you do not want the plant to spread. Keeping your shrub healthy and happy will help control them to some degree. Alternatively, this can be a beneficial characteristic if you want to have mass plantings of the shrub in your garden since additional shrubs will form without further cost to you. Pruning may be needed if your bridal wreath spiraea starts spreading farther than you would like; do so right after the shrub finishing flowering. You can also use this as an informal hedge to create pathways and outdoor rooms.

🌿 Propagating
🐛 Diseases & pets
☠️ Toxicity

Characteristics

Plant Type
Deciduous shrub
Genus
Spiraea
Family
Rosaceae
Hardiness Zone
3-8
Bloom Time
Early spring
Native Area
China, Korea and Taiwan

Tags (21)

Common Names (4)

en Spirea
en Van Houtte's Spiraea
en Van Houtte's Meadowsweet
en Spiraea x vanhouttei