We continue with the National Garden Bureau’s 2023 “Year of the” plants. Each year the National Garden Bureau (NGB) selects one annual, one perennial, one shrub, one edible, one houseplant, and one bulb crop as their “Year of the” crops.
The winning 2023 plants in each of the six classes are: annual, Celosia; perennial, Rudbeckia; shrub, Spirea; edible, broccoli; houseplant, orchid; bulb, Amaryllis Today’s column features the shrub of the year, Spirea. The floral display of Spirea makes a statement in landscapes as a spring blooming shrub and is desirable as it tolerates a wide variety of conditions.
The word ‘Spirea’ (spy-ah-REE-ah) has two meanings: Spirea is both a genus name and is also the common name of the plant. The genus name, Spirea, comes from the Greek word, speira, which means “wreath” in reference to the orientation of the shrub’s delicate flowers.
Shrubs in the Spiraea genus are deciduous, dropping leaves in the fall and going dormant over the winter months. They are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 4 – 8, tolerating winter temperatures of 15° F.
Leaves are lanceolate shaped, narrow and oval. Foliage of the nearly 100 Spiraea species range from blue to yellow, red, to orange. Inflorescences are tight clusters of florets with five petals surrounded by five sepals.
Spirea are fast growing, making them desirable as hedges or in mass plantings for their foliage and flower colors. For the best color of both foliage and flowers, grow in full sun; if shaded, plants become leggy with fewer and less vibrant flowers.
Plant in well-drained soil. Keep moist their first year, watering deeply, especially during the hot summer months. Once established Spirea can tolerate drought, heat and cold.
Maintain flowering by pruning old wood after spring flowering. Thin overcrowded branches to promote air circulation and light penetration for improved flowering. Shrubs that have become large and woody can be rejuvenated by pruning heavily, removing up to two-thirds of top growth.
A plus for rural areas is that Spirea are typically not desired by deer and rabbits. The profuse spring blooms attract pollinators.
Two notable NGB selections are:
• Double Play Doozie, red blooms that show all summer long; height 2-3 ft; width 2-3 ft.
• Glow Girl Birchleaf – adapted for colder climates; lemon-lime foliage; height 3-4 ft; width 3-4 ft.
Information from the National Garden Bureau Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers.
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