Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Other Names:  Spiraea x bumalda

Description:

A real breakthrough in spireas, this incredible selection looks, acts and feels more like a groundcover perennial than a shrub, with bright golden foliage all season long, topped with pink flowers in spring; creative gardeners, be prepared to fall in love

Ornamental Features

Golden Elf Spirea is clothed in stunning clusters of pink flowers at the ends of the branches from late spring to early summer. It has attractive gold deciduous foliage which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The tiny serrated pointy leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Golden Elf Spirea is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, 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.

Golden Elf Spirea is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Golden Elf Spirea will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium 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.

Golden Elf Spirea makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. 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.