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Spirea
Spiraea
Spirea blooms from May through July.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Spirea
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 3.5 ft tall and 4 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Spirea. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Spirea
Plant Spirea in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to July.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Spirea get?
3.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult4 ftwideSee Spirea in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Spirea
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Spirea about 4 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Spirea to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Spirea's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 11 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Proven WinnersSpirea - The Ultimate Growing Guideheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenSpiraea japonicaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenSpiraea x vanhoutteiheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenSpiraea prunifoliaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenSpiraea betulifoliaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionSpiraeaheight, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- The Morton ArboretumSpirea, Spiraea mediaheight, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionVanhoutte Spirea, Spiraea x vanhoutteiheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionJapanese Spirea, Spiraea japonicaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterSpireaheight, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Penn State ExtensionSpirea: The Good and the Badsun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 10 varieties across 3 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
- Anthony Waterer
- Bridal Wreath
- Double Play Big Bang
- Double Play Candy Corn
- Goldflame
- Goldmound
- Little Princess
- Magic Carpet
- Neon Flash
- Snowmound
Compare every variety in the Spirea group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Waterer | Pink | Jun–Aug | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 4 ft |
| Bridal Wreath | White | Apr–May | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 6 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Double Play Big Bang | Pink | Jun–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Double Play Candy Corn | Pink | Jun–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Goldflame | Pink | Jun–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 3 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Goldmound | Pink | Jun–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Little Princess | Pink | Jun–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 2 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Magic Carpet | Pink | Jun–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 20 in × 24 in |
| Neon Flash | Red | Jun–Aug | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 3 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Snowmound | White | May–Jun | Zones 3–8 | Full sun | 4 ft × 5 ft |
| Spireathis page | Pink | May–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 4 ft |
Good to know about Spirea
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Shearing spent flowers after the first summer flush does double duty: it triggers a second bloom and, in the eastern US, removes the seed that drives its invasiveness. per Wisconsin and Penn State
Pruning depends on the type
Summer-blooming Japanese types flower on new wood: cut them back hard in late winter. Spring-blooming bridal-wreath types flower on old wood: prune only right after flowering. per NC State and Wisconsin
Invasive in the eastern US
Introduced from Japan and China around 1879, it has escaped gardens across the eastern US, spreading by abundant seed and suckering stems to form thickets that crowd out native plants. per NC State and Penn State
Even cultivars set viable seed
Penn State warns that popular cultivars like 'Little Princess' and 'Anthony Waterer' still make numerous viable seeds, so cultivar status is no safeguard where spirea is invasive. per Penn State
Steady water fights spider mites
Spider mites explode on hot, dry, water-stressed plants, so consistent summer watering is the front-line defense. Let the shrub run dry and you invite the worst pest it gets. per UC IPM and Kentucky
Draws pollinators, resists deer
The flat flower clusters draw butterflies and other pollinators, and the plant hosts several moth caterpillars. It is also noted as deer- and rabbit-resistant, though its pollinator value is moderate. per NC State
What pairs well with Spirea
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Goldenrod
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Autumn Joy Sedum
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Windflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Eastern Redbud
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; stands well above at 23 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Grape Hyacinth
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Sweet Alyssum
Shares full sun and moderate water; low at 5 in, to carpet the ground beneath; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both offer pollinator forage.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.