Spiraea tomentosa L. Spiraea tomentosa L. var. rosea (Raf.) Fernald Spiraea tomentosa L. var. tomentosa Steeplebush, hardhack
Steeplebush is native to eastern North America and northern and central Europe. It is named for its steeple-like flower clusters. See also meadowsweet, a white or sometime pinkish relative. Identification: Plants are 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. Steeplebush prefers wet or seasonally wet areas and lots of sunlight. Leaves are 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. The flowerheads are the defining features, 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. Fruits are pods that contain narrow seeds about ¹/₃₂" (1 mm) long. By Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database. Online References:
Spiraea tomentosa at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Spiraea tomentosa at Illinois Wildflowers Spiraea tomentosa on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants Spiraea tomentosa at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity Spiraea tomentosa at Minnesota Wildflowers 8/11/2020 · Cliff Trail, Harpswell, Maine 8/15/2015 · Screw Auger Falls, Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine 8/2/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts 7/26/2020 · Back River Trail, Eaton Farm Preserve, Wiscasset, Maine 8/2/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts 8/4/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts Spiraea tomentosa description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
8/4/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts 12/30/2011 · Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts 7/31/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts 7/31/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts 7/24/2010 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts 8/3/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts Seeds will darken to red-brown. · 8/25/2017 · Pack Monadnock, near summit, Peterborough, New Hampshire 4/14/2013 · Bemis Rd, Pepperell, Massachusetts 8/12/2009 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts Range: Zones 4-8:
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