Japanese Spiraea 'Macrophylla'

Japanese Spiraea (Spiraea japonica) 'Macrophylla' is the spiraea people buy for its leaves. The large, oval, sharply toothed foliage gives the shrub a dense, strongly textured body, while small pink corymbs settle on top like froth.

It is a noticeably bigger shrub than the dwarf spiraeas: on species data it reaches 1.2-1.8 m tall and 1.5-2.1 m wide, enough to make a proper mass planting on a slope, an informal hedge along a path, or a backdrop for lower perennials. It flowers in June and July on the current year's growth.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: The cultivar name says it all: macrophylla means 'large-leaved', and here it is the foliage rather than the flowers that does the decorative work.
• Dimensions: 1.2-1.8 m tall and 1.5-2.1 m wide at maturity.
• Hardiness: Hardy to -40 °C (USDA zone 3).
• Flowering: In June-July small pink flowers open, gathered into flat corymb-like inflorescences.
• Light: Best in full sun; it takes light shade, but the flowering and the density of the bush suffer.
• Soil: Takes a wide range of soils with ease, clay included, and grows best on fertile moist loam with good drainage.
• Watering: Water moderately: the soil should stay medium-moist through the season.
• Care: It flowers on the current year's shoots, so prune in late winter to early spring and remove the spent heads.
• Landscape use: Groups and drifts in a shrub border, a low hedge along paths, foundation plantings and rock gardens.