Steeplebush

Need a hardy native that is a staggeringly under-utilized flowering shrub? The Steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa) is an ornamental mounding native deciduous shrub that readily forms a thicket of upright, slender, wand-like stems that display orangy red and yellow stems for winter interest!

These Spirea cousins are vital wildflowers, going by other names that include Meadowsweet, or Eastern Hardhack because of their durability! Resembling the florets of Spirea but in flowering spires more like Astilbe, these bright pinkish-purple blooms stand tall on their upright stems!

The dense plumes of pinkish-purple flowers appear on the ends of each branch! The great texture of the foliage has a decorative scalloped edge. These space-saving shrubs grows into their namesake steeple shape. The sight of the wand-like plumes waving in the breeze looks enchanting!

Mid to late summer, pollinators congregate for pollen and may even attract a Hummingbirds or two! Attracting droves of pollinators and other insect larvae that birds eat sustains them and their chicks! Hardy throughout USDA planting zones 3 to 8, these shrubs are smaller space-saving plants growing 2-3 feet tall and a bit wider at maturity!

Planting and Application:

Steeplebushes are at home in naturalized and wetland areas but also do fantastic in Perennial gardens and mixed-shrub borders! Highly adapted to shorelines, ponds, and moist habitats, Rain Gardens, are must-haves in Pollinator gardens!

The dense structure and thicket-forming nature attract, shelter, and feed plenty of birds and hummingbirds! Plant Steeplebushes on hillsides and slopes where they help with erosion control and stabilize soil along water features! Let them colonize areas that are difficult to mow and maintain - replacing a bare eyesore with waving pink wands and pretty foliage!

Include Steeple Bush in dense shelterbelts and perennial hedges, simultaneously sheltering birds and wildlife! Snip a few stems for your bouquets indoors!

• Tall Wand-Like Pink Plumes
• Upright Growth & Ornamental Foliage
• Pollinator & Bird-Friendly
• Easy to Grow Deciduous Shrubs
• Rain Gardens, Erosion Control & Native Wildlife Habitat

#ProPlantTips for Care:

These wild Spirea family members are wonderfully easy to grow! These shrubs need full sun to bloom their best, but they tolerant partial shade too. Steeplebush are very tolerant of moist to occasionally soggy soil. Doing just as beautifully in average garden conditions as well! These natives form thickets unless you prune away the excess emerging stems, giving the plant a cleaner look. Steeplebush flowers occur on new wood, so prune in late winter or very early spring.

• Full Sun & Part Shade
• Average to Wet Conditions
• Well-Drained Soil Types
• Tolerates Clay, Loam, Sand & Moderately Acid Sites
• Prune When Dormant

Moist soil-loving bird-friendly habitat, the thicket-forming native Steeplebush is a fantastic perennial with ornamental blooms that create a safe haven for your feathered friends! Order yours today at NatureHills.com before this unique shrub is gone!