This plant is problematic and alternatives should be considered. Japanese spiraea is a deciduous, perennial shrub in the rose family (Rosaceae) that escapes and naturalizes in North Carolina. It is native to Japan and China. It grows in full sun to partial shade and well-drained, alkaline soil, typically reaching 4 to 6 feet high and wide. It is a rapid grower and can be an aggressive self-seeder. It has escaped gardens and naturalized in many areas of the eastern United States. It also reproduces by stem cuttings or suckering, creating a dense thicket of thin wiry stems that will displace other plants. Unlike some other species of spiraea, this plant may be damaged by deer. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems : It is listed as invasive in Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and others including the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. It is classified as an invasive species by the NC Invasive Plant Council. Consider planting native alternatives found in the left-hand column. Spiraeas are susceptible to many of the diseases and insects that attack other rose family members, including leaf spot, fire blight, powdery mildew, root rot, aphids, leaf roller and scale. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Spiraea .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 7 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate; Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Lustrous dark green leaves. 1 to 3 inches long when mature. Serrate to double serrate margins. Pink, red, purple, yellow or chartreuse leaves when young. Somewhat glaucous with downy veins beneath.
Flower color
Pink
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Blooms in June and July with mild fragrance. Inflorescence is terminal flat-topped corymb or borne in uppermost leaf axils with flower clusters to 8 inches in diameter. Flowers are deep pink or rose-reddish, 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Follicle
Fruit detail
Fruit is a dry, brown follicle.
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Wiry, freely branching, erect stems are brown to reddish-brown, round in cross-section and sometimes hairy.
Aphids on Ornamental Landscape Plants; Redbanded Leafroller; White-lined Leafroller; Armored Scale Identification and Management on Ornamental Plants; Soft Scale Identification and Management on Ornamental Plants