Spiraea alba Du Roi Meadowsweet, white meadowsweet
Meadowsweet is native to North America. The similar-appearing Spiraea latifolia has recently been reclassified as a form of this species. See also steeplebush, a pink relative. Plants: Shrub is 24-72" (60-182 cm) around, with multiple stems that are rarely branched. (Browsing by animals sometimes produces more densely branched bushes.) Stems are brown or yellowish brown. Leaves: Alternate, green and textured above, paler in color beneath, narrowly ovate, and sharply toothed. They have pinnate veins and short stems, and are 1¾-2½" (5-7 cm) × ⅜-¾" (1-2 cm). Flowers: Large, densely flowered panicles are 2-6" (5-15 cm) long, composed of individual flowers less than ¼" (6.3 mm) around. Each flower is white or pale pink, with five petals and a large number of stamens. They flower from June to September. Fruits: Dry brown follicles opening at the tip when ripened, and persisting long after flowering. These are similar: |
8/1/2009 · Kennebunk Plains, Kennebunk, Maine 8/4/2006 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe, Vermont 7/10/2021 · Fox East Trail, Bradbury Mountain, Pownal, Maine |
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You are here Spiraea alba |
Spiraea tomentosa |
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Plant | Shrub is 24-72" (60-182 cm) around, with multiple stems that are rarely branched. Stems are brown or yellowish brown. | 24-48" (60-121 cm) tall, composed of groups of unbranched stems topped by conical flowerheads. Stems are orange-colored at first, from dense brown hairs, becoming reddish-brown and woody later. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Flowers | Large, densely flowered panicles are 2-6" (5-15 cm) long, composed of individual flowers less than ¼" (6.3 mm) around. Each flower is white or pale pink, with five petals and a large number of stamens. They flower from June to September. | Dense, cone-shaped panicles of pink flowers 2-6" (5-15 cm) long, each less than ¼" (6.3 mm) around, with five petals. Flowers appear from July to September. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leaves | Alternate, green and textured above, paler in color beneath, narrowly ovate, and sharply toothed. They have pinnate veins and short stems, and are 1¾-2½" (5-7 cm) × ⅜-¾" (1-2 cm). | Alternate, dark green, hairless, and textured on top; pale and hairy below. They are 1½-3" (3.8-7.6 cm) × ½-1¼" (1.3-3.2 cm), roughly oval shaped (elliptic to ovate), coarsely toothed, connected by short stems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fruit | Dry brown follicles opening at the tip when ripened, and persisting long after flowering. | Pods that contain narrow seeds about ¹/₃₂" (1 mm) long. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Range/ Zones |
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Habitats | Damp meadows, pastures, old fields, in sandy, loamy soil | Damp meadows, pastures, old fields, in sandy, loamy soil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Wild | Wild |
Online References:
Spiraea alba at Illinois Wildflowers
Spiraea alba on the Ecology of Commanster
Spiraea alba at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity
Spiraea alba at the University of Michigan Herbarium
Spiraea alba at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Spiraea alba on Fall Wildflowers of New England
9/11/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 15 cm)
7/9/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 8 × 12" (20 × 31 cm)
7/16/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 13 × 17" (32 × 42 cm) ID is uncertain
7/9/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 4" (13 × 10 cm)
7/22/2012 · Wapack Trail, Pack Monadnock, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 23 cm)
7/22/2012 · Wapack Trail, Pack Monadnock, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 4½ × 7" (11 × 16 cm)
8/1/2009 · Kennebunk Plains, Kennebunk, Maine
≈ 4 × 3" (10 × 8.5 cm) ID is uncertain
8/1/2021 · Houghton Graves Park, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 3 × 5" (8.4 × 12 cm)
Spiraea alba description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 13 Sep 2021.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
7/9/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 9" (18 × 23 cm)
8/4/2006 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe, Vermont
7/10/2021 · Fox East Trail, Bradbury Mountain, Pownal, Maine
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.5 cm)
9/11/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 15 cm)
7/9/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.9 cm)
7/9/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 27 cm)
7/9/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 7" (13 × 17 cm)
8/1/2021 · Houghton Graves Park, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 3½ × 5" (9 × 12 cm)
7/9/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 9" (14 × 22 cm)
Range: Zones 3-7: