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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.

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Spiraea splendens var. splendens (Rose meadowsweet)
Glase, Terry

Spiraea splendens var. splendens

Spiraea splendens Baumann ex K. Koch var. splendens

Rose Meadowsweet, Subalpine Spiraea

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Synonym(s): Spiraea densiflora, Spiraea densiflora ssp. splendens, Spiraea densiflora var. splendens

USDA Symbol: spsps

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Subalpine spiraea is a low-statured, deciduous shrub, 2-3 ft. tall, with shiny, bright green leaves; reddish-purple bark; and flat-topped clusters of tiny, dark-pink to purple flowers.

 

From the Image Gallery

7 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Aggregate , Follicle
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.
Fruit: Aggregated follicles.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: CA , ID , MT , NV , OR , WA , WY
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: Mts. from B.C. to n.w. & Sierran CA, e. to MT
Native Habitat: Wet, open meadows; wooded or open, rocky slopes; stream banks; 2000-11,000 ft.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Wet
Soil Description: Moist to wet, rocky soils.

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Grows easily from seed or cuttings. Offshoots from the parent rootstock establish well.
Seed Treatment: 1 month stratification is necessary.
Commercially Avail: yes

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Native shade plants around fountain in California
March 18, 2009
Hi, we just put a fountain in our front yard. It is in a mostly shady area. I need to know what plants would go best around the fountain and survive in the shade.
view the full question and answer

Alternatives to non-native heather (Calluna vulgaris)
April 27, 2007
I live in Vernon, BC, Canada. I plan to put a heather plant in my garden, but my space is limited. I know that it will grow approx. 2 ft. high and that it likes well drained and acidic soil, but how...
view the full question and answer

Bibliography

Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.

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 splendens var. splendens in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Spiraea splendens var. splendens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Spiraea splendens var. splendens

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-28
Research By: TWC Staff

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