Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Other Names:  Spirea Daphne

Description:

A versatile garden detail shrub with showy flat-topped clusters of pink flowers in early summer and tiny fine-textured foliage; forms a dense, compact mound, beautiful used in masses or as a groundcover; needs full sun and well-drained soil

Ornamental Features

Spirea Alpine is bathed in stunning clusters of pink flowers at the ends of the branches from late spring to early summer. It has bluish-green deciduous foliage. The tiny serrated pointy leaves turn an outstanding coppery-bronze in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Spirea Alpine is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.

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.

Spirea Alpine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Spirea Alpine will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 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 is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.