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Other Names:  Spiraea japonica

Description:

A compact, globular garden shrub with beautiful flat-topped clusters of long-lasting pink and hot pink flowers held over the foliage, turns purple in fall; ideal size for garden detail use, stunning used in groupings; needs full sun and well-drained soil

Ornamental Features

Flowering Choice Spirea features showy clusters of pink flowers with hot pink eyes at the ends of the branches from late spring to early summer, which emerge from distinctive hot pink flower buds. It has green deciduous foliage which emerges light green in spring. The small serrated pointy leaves turn an outstanding purple in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Flowering Choice Spirea is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Flowering Choice Spirea is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Flowering Choice Spirea will grow to be about 15 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Flowering Choice Spirea makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.