Rose Spirea

Scientific Name: Spiraea douglasii Hook.

Plant Guide

Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Rose Spirea.

Fact Sheet

Uses

Rose spirea is useful for stabilization of stream-banks and shorelines as well as the restoration of wetlands including marshes, bogs, and open swamps. Limbs are suitable for branch packing, fascines, and other soil bioengineering practices. In some cases this species should be planted sparingly at best because of its ability to spread and dominate favorable sites. Rose spirea withstands competition from wetland grasses better than certain other woody species. If not severely shaded when young, it may also compete well with exotic reed canarygrass. Rose spirea provides good cover for birds and small mammals. Grouse apparently eat the dried spikes and other wildlife consume the seed filled capsules. The flowers are a source of nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinator insects. Although occasionally browsed by deer and livestock, it is considered poor forage and little mention is made concerning its nutritional value and palatability. Native Americans made minor use of this plant. At least one tribe used the seeds to make a tea for the treatment of diarrhea. The branches were used to spread and cook salmon, hang salmon for drying and smoking, and make brooms. With its attractive and fragrant flower clusters, rose spirea is used for naturalistic landscaping, ponds, hedges, and screens. The canes and dry flower heads provide visual interest in winter.

Description

Rose spirea is a deciduous shrub in the Rose family that grows 2 to 7 ft tall, has upright slender limbs, and spreads by suckers (under-ground shoots) to form dense thickets. The leaves are oblong to elliptical in shape, 1 to 3 in. long, lighter and sometimes wooly beneath, and toothed along the upper half of the margins. Tiny, fragrant reddish pink flowers are borne in dense, elongate clusters at the end of shoots. The clusters appear ‘fuzzy’ from the abundance of long stamens. Flowering occurs from June to September. The fruit is a smooth, dry follicle that persists in winter. This species hybridizes in the wild with white spirea (Spiraea betulifolia).

Status

Please consult the Plants Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as state noxious and wetland indicator values.

Adaptation

Rose spirea grows best in full sun to dappled shade and in a wide range of soils (gravelly sandy loams to heavy clays) that range from acidic to neutral (pH 4,5-7,5) and from moist well drained to wet and poorly drained (hydric), The species tolerates extended periods of flooding and perpetually water-logged soils, Only the most severe fires will eliminate regrowth from basal portions and suckers, Distribution- Rose spirea occurs naturally from southern Alaska south to northern California and east to western Montana, The elevation range is sea-level to 6,500 ft in the mountains, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Rose Spirea., Habitat includes damp meadows, riparian zones, bogs, marshes, open swamps, and the margins of ponds and lakes, It is a member of many willow, alder, freshwater marsh, moist coniferous forest, scrub shrub and semi-aquatic plant communities, Limitations or environmental concerns Rose spirea may be susceptible to fire blight disease which causes dieback of tips and scorched looking leaves, It is host to several insect pests including aphids, leaf rollers, and scales, This species can become invasive, as it spreads readily by suckers and seedlings, especially on flat, moist to wet sites in full sun, Dense thickets can become nearly impenetrable and too competitive for other desirable plant species, It may not be suitable for small areas without regular management, The species is a mild allergen, Some authorities list it as nonpoisonous, Others describe it as poisonous, possibly because spireas in general are known to contain aspirin like compounds which in concentrated form are toxic if taken internally, Reprinted with permission, Univ, of WA Press

Plant Traits

Growth Requirements

Morphology/Physiology

Reproduction

Suitability/Use