Spiraea albaIndiana NativeIndiana Native
Meadowsweet

 Plant Type:
 Growth Forms:
 Hardiness:
 Deciduous / Evergreen:
 Flower Notes:
White (3-4" long cone-shaped clusters)
 Foliage Notes:
Green (alternate, narrow, toothed)
 Stem Notes:
Several stems grow from base
 Fruit Notes:
Brown (Brown capsules)
 Ultimate Height:
3-4 feet
 Ultimate Spread:
3-4 feet
 Bloom Times:
 Light Requirements:
 Soil Water Requirements:
 Soil Notes:
Prefers medium to wet, well-drained soils.
 Range:
Eastern North America
 Maintenance:
 Diagnostic Characteristics:
Leaves are alternate, narrow, toothed, and terminal. Flowers are cone-shaped (3-4" long) and consist of tiny, white flowers that bloom in summer. Fruits contain 5 pod-shaped follicles which dry out and split, maturing in September.
Purdue Plant Doctor
  Special Characteristics:

Additional Information

The meadowsweet is an Indiana native shrub that can be found in wet prairies, marshes, and flood plains. Its flowers appear on panicles during the later summer months and last till about September, making this shrub a great addition to the landscape as a late blooming shrub. The flowers also attract pollinators, such as bumblebees and other bee species. Wet soils are needed for this shrub and can even tolerate periods of flooding. Every three years, cut down the stems to the ground to allow new flush of growth and to maintain the health of the shrub.

When Spiraea alba has been observed flowering or fruiting at Purdue University

Flowering

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No Fruiting Observations Available

The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Physical Facilities Grounds Department

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