Early Spirea

Identification

• Spireas are woody perennials, and most are deciduous shrubs. The original spireas, Spiraea prunifolia, are natives of Eastern Asia, and hybrid forms give gardeners in every part of North America a choice of these hardy, tolerant members of the rose family. Tiny flowers bloom in clusters on crooked stems; larger types bear white flowers and smaller shrubs bear red, pink or white flowers. Spirea that bloom in color, such as S. douglassi, or Western spirea, and S. japonica, including rose-colored Anthony Waterer and its varieties, all bloom from summer to fall. Larger, white-flowered spireas such as Spiraea prunifolia, S. cantoniensis, S. thunbergii and S. vanhouttei bloom in early spring. Together, these shrubs are known as bridal wreath spireas.

Culture

• Fall is the best time to plant spring-blooming spirea. They are tolerant of most types of soil except those that are salty, wet or very alkaline. They are moderately drought tolerant and bloom best in full sun but will tolerate light shade. Once established, they will grow into fountain-shaped shrubs and each spring bunches of white flowers will precede the leaves. Some forms of S. prunifolia and S. cantoniensis occasionally display fall color, depending on location and climate. They have no serious insect pests, but periodic pruning to remove older branches keeps the shrub attractive and limits its susceptibility to powdery mildew, leaf spot and other diseases of rose family plants.

Bloom Times

• S. prunifolia grows from USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8 in the eastern half of North America and is the earliest bloomer, beginning in March and April from the southern zones north. S. cantoniensis, or Reeves spirea, grows from USDA zone 7 to 9 across the South and up the Pacific coast of the United States. In southern zones, it may bloom in February. Both grow from 4 to 8 feet tall. S. thunbergii cultivars bloom from April into May on 3- to 5-foot-tall shrubs. Vanhoutte spirea is hardy, thriving from zone 3 to zone 8, but blooms later, beginning in May. Vanhouttes are the giants of the spring bloomers, ranging from 6 to 10 feet tall and spreading as much as 20 feet wide.

Considerations

• Although S. prunifolia and Reeve's spirea appear to be the earliest of the early spring bloomers, astronomical spring does not always coincide with climatic spring. Just because Reeve's spirea blooms in February in Alabama does not guarantee that it will bloom before March or April in Seattle or Richmond, Virginia. Another consideration when choosing a spirea is that their nomenclature is not as standardized as many shrubs and trees. The best guarantee of early bloom is to find an early-blooming shrub in the area and plant the same type.