Botanical Name: Spiraea betulifolia
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Common Name: Birch-leaved Spirea  
Plant photo of: Spiraea betulifolia
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Summer, Intermittent

 

Leaf Color

Green, Blue Green, Red

 

Bark Color

Brown

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Fall

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium, Extra in Summer

 

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Invasive

Design Styles

English Cottage, Japanese, Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Entry, Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Parking Strip, Patio, Parking Lot, Raised Planter

 

Special Uses

Erosion Control, Hedge, Mass Planting, Naturalizing, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Butterflies

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:

  • Description

  • Notes

Birch-leaved spirea is a deciduous, low-growing shrub usually under 2 feet tall and wide, though, due to its rhizomatous nature, in time will spread out wider. New wood is purplish-brown and upright. Leaves are bluish-green to green, with oval leaf margins coarsely toothed near the tip of the leaf. Flowers are a dense flat to round topped, comprised of many small off-white flowers, appearing fluffy from the long stamens. Blooms between May and August and are followed by small, inconsequential seeds fruit, though the birds enjoy them.
Grow in well drained soil, semi-dry to just moist, in full sun to dappled shade. Pruning is generally not necessary, though renovative pruning every few years is alright (see Guides). Attracts butterflies and birds.