Native Plants
Plant Database
Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.
Brundage, Stephanie
Spiraea alba
Spiraea alba Du Roi
White Meadowsweet
Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: spal2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)
This mound-shaped shrub, 3-6+ ft. tall and wide, bears numerous, fine-textured, erect, unbranched stems. Deciduous foliage is yellow-green, turning golden-yellow in fall. Tiny white flowers are arranged in conical, terminal spikes. A woody shrub with a dense, pyramidal, terminal cluster of small, white or pale pinkish flowers.
The brown fruit, which persists after flowering, is a distinctive feature of all Spiraea. Although less spectacular than the showy, introduced garden spiraeas, this native species is most suitable for naturalistic landscaping. Virginia Spiraea (S. virginiana), with a rounded, short, broad flower cluster and thin oblong leaves, is found from Ohio and Pennsylvania south to Georgia and Louisiana.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Aggregate , Follicle
Size Notes: Up to about 6-1/2 feet tall.
Leaf: Green
Autumn Foliage: yes
Fruit: Brown, aggregated follicles.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , PinkBloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Bloom Notes: Sometimes tinged pink, especially in bud.
Distribution
USA: CT , DC , DE , IA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , NC , ND , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SD , TN , VA , VT , WI , WVCanada: AB , MB , NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC , SK
Native Distribution: S.w. Que. & n.w. VT to Alt., s. to NC & TN mts., IA & SD
Native Habitat: Swamps; wet meadows; shores
Growing Conditions
Water Use: MediumLight Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Wet soils.
Benefit
Use Wildlife: Intermediate.Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Larval Host: Spring Azure
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesSupports Conservation Biological Control
This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
|
Spring Azure (Celastrina "ladon" )  Larval Host |
Propagation
Commercially Avail: yesNational Wetland Indicator Status
| Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
| Status: | FACW | FACW | FACW | FACW | FACW | FACW |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Bibliography
Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Spiraea alba in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Spiraea alba in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Spiraea alba
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-10-21Research By: TWC Staff