Accommodating and useful deciduous shrub

Meadow sweets (Spiraea) is a deciduous shrub and there are eighty known species. It has beautiful white or pink flowers. Thanks to its undemanding nature, you can plant it almost anywhere, even in a rock garden and use it as a hedge for example. Because there are so many known species do your homework before you get one, because they differ in sizes, in leaf and flower colours and different species also bloom at different times.

Planting time

You can plant meadow sweets any time, but ideally in autumn, around mid-November. The soil should not be muddy, very cold and definitely not frozen. If you planted at a certain location and you don’t like it, do not worry. Meadow sweets has a shallow root system, so you can dig it up and transfer it to a new location.It will get used to the new location very quickly; unlike other plants it does not suffer from shocks when transplanted.

Care

A sunny location with a moderately good soil will do. If the soil is rather poor in nutrients, the bush will bloom less. The same applies if you plant it in a shadowy area. It is an undemanding, frost-resistant shrub. Pruning is also very easy. Only remove weak branches in the spring and that is it.

Photo: Pixabay

Propagation

If you like meadow sweets and would like to have more in your garden, you don’t have to rush to the garden store. You can try propagating meadow sweets using the one you have at home.Take few cuttings in June or July. Sometimes you may also use overgrown shoots but not all types of meadow sweets have overgrown shoots. Plant cuttings in autumn or spring.

Van Houtte’s spiraea

It is another trouble-free woody plant that produces dazzling white flowers. It blooms in May and June. In autumn, you can enjoy orange coloured leaves. Van Houtte’s spiraea also works well as a hedge.

Japanese spiraea

Spiraea japonica is very popular and can grow to a height of 0.5 to 1 meter, depending on the variety you have. This variety has thin branches and produces pink flowers from June to September. Leaves are light green and very attractive, even after the bush finished flowering.

Billiard’s spiraea

Another popular variety is Spiraea x billardii. It has rather different flowers, which have distinctive, upwardly protruding panicles. This bush produces fewer pink flowers but keeps blooming until the end of summer. Spiraea x billardii requires little bit care because in order to encourage flowering, you need to remove flowers that have already bloomed and are wilted. The good news is that Spiraea x billardii propagates easily by using its own root rhizomes.

Preview photo: Pixabay