Spiraea alba

RHS Plant Profile

pale bridewort

Other common names

American meadowsweet, meadow sweet, queen of the meadows, white meadowsweet

Shrubs

Small, upright thicket-forming shrub to about 1.2m tall, with narrow, sharply-serrated mid-green leaves on unbranched yellow-brown stems, and downy, terminal panicles of tiny white flowers produced in late summer

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 1-1.5 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Poorly–drained
pH: Acid or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Suckering
Genus: Spiraea are deciduous shrubs, sometimes suckering, with simple leaves and short racemes, panicles or corymbs of small, 5-petalled white or pink flowers in spring or summer
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: N America

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in most moist soils, including wet and boggy soils, tolerant of all but the most extreme conditions, in full sun or light shade

Propagation

Propagate suckering species such as S. alba by division in late summer or early spring. Propagate by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in spring to late summer or hardwood cuttings in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Ground cover
Hedging and screens

Pruning

Pruning group 6 for spiraea flowering on current years stems, deadhead after flowering. Keep really neat and compact by cutting all stems back to within 15cm of ground level after flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free but may be susceptible to honey fungus