An easy-care spirea bush adds color and attracts plenty of pollinators. The shrubs grow quickly and thrive in most landscapes.
The Complete Spirea Bush Growing Guide
Published on Mar. 14, 2025
Easy-care spirea shrubs offer gardeners so much while asking for little in return. They grow quickly and happily in a wide range of soil conditions, delivering abundant pollinator-friendly blooms atop kaleidoscopic foliage. The deciduous leaves often offer a second display of color in the fall.
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Spirea Care and Growing Tips
- Common name: Spirea
- Scientific name: Spiraea
- Zones: 3 to 8
- Light needs: full sun
- Soil needs: tolerant of most soil types
- Water needs: average water needs
Where should you plant your spirea? Spirea is not a shade-loving shrub. It’ll tolerate some shade, but performs best in full sun.
“Plant spirea in full sun, generally in USDA zones 3 to 8,” confirms Natalie Carmolli, who heads public relations for Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs. “That will help encourage a healthy plant and abundant blooms. Mulching will help retain moisture to keep the flowers coming.”
While most prefer loamy soil, spireas are unfussy and don’t require special soil conditions. The smaller cultivars make good container plants.
Most shrubs take two to three years for their roots to establish after transplanting, so regular water is needed until then. Water thoroughly when the top few inches of soil are dry. Make sure water is draining away, not collecting, around the roots of the plant.
“They have average water needs and will tolerate some drought once established. They are also tolerant of most soil types,” Natalie says.
Spirea Bush Pruning
Prune spring-flowering spireas right after they bloom if you need to control their size but want to enjoy the blossoms.
For summer-blooming spireas, enjoy their chestnut-brown stems and dried seed heads during the cold season and then cut them back in late winter or early spring before growth begins. Cut the plant back halfway and remove half of those stems to the ground.
Natalie says, “You can shape them each spring, removing any dead branches, to keep the habit tight and healthy.”
If the summer bloomers are given a light trim as the first flowers fade, there’s a possibility for a second and even a third flush of blooms. “Conventional varieties can be sheared for repeat bloom, but a seedless cultivar like ‘Double Play Doozie’ (Spirea japonica) will continue to bloom all summer with no additional maintenance,” Natalie says.
Spirea Bush Benefits
“I think one of the best things about spirea is their durability,” says Natalie. “There’s a reason they are so ubiquitous in landscaping. Their reliability, easy care, and season-long color really can’t be beat. Other than occasional shaping, they really are a plant-it-and-forget-it type of shrub. They are fast-growing, drought tolerant once established, and are also resistant to browsing by deer and rabbits!”
You’ll find small spireas that can star in front of the border, or statuesque ones that make a colorful backdrop to smaller perennials and ground covers. Some, like the garland spirea, bloom in spring, others in summer, so by choosing a selection, you can have blooms and changing foliage colors for months.
Tolerant of pollution, they can handle life in urban conditions as well. Planting spirea supports beneficial pollinators, helping boost much needed diversity in the garden. They provide “an easily accessible source of nectar,” Natalie says. “When in bloom, you see them covered in bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.”
But that’s not all – both flower and foliage are strong players in floral arrangements. With all these attributes, it’s little wonder the National Garden Bureau declared 2023 the Year of the Spirea.
Popular Spirea Bush Species
Japanese Spirea
Spiraea japonica, Zones 4 to 7
From East Asia, Japanese spirea has a mounding habit and bears white or pink flowers. Notable cultivars include ‘Double Play Gold’ with chartreuse foliage and raspberry blossoms, and ‘Double Play Red’ with its dark burgundy blooms. A prolific spreader, Japanese spirea is listed as invasive in several states in the East and Midwest. If you live near open green space, seek out ‘Double Play Doozie,’ or other sterile cultivars.
Birchleaf Spirea
Spiraea betulifolia, Zones 3 to 9
Named for its blue-hued birch-like leaves and glowing fall color, birchleaf spirea sports white flowers. Cultivar ‘Glow Girl’ has lime-colored leaves that turn orange in fall. The compact cultivar ‘Tor’ tops out at 3 feet and blends nicely with late-season perennials such as asters, goldenrod and mums.
Bumalda Spirea
Spiraea x bumalda, Zones 3 to 8
Hailing from Northeast Asia and Japan, its rose-pink flowers are attractive to butterflies from late spring through mid-summer. A lower grower to 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide, it can self-sow and spread by suckers.
Nippon Spirea
Spiraea nipponica, Zones 3 to 8
Its white flowers entice butterflies in droves in spring. While the species can reach 5 to 8 feet tall, ‘Snowmound’ stays a neat 2 feet by 4 feet size.
Vanhoutte or Bridal Wreath Spirea
Spiraea x vanhouttei, Zones 3 to 8
Like a living bouquet, it stands out for its vase-like shape with cascades of spring white blooms arching toward the ground. Fall color is minimal. The species is a great back-of-the border choice, reaching 8 feet tall by 10 feet wide, and ‘Wedding Cake’ is a neat 3 feet by 3 feet with a more rounded habit.
Are Spirea Bushes Invasive?
Some Spiraea japonica cultivars have been noted for their invasive tendencies in certain regions, particularly in the mid-Atlantic U.S. However, there are Proven Winners ColorChoice spirea varieties, like ‘Double Play Doozie’ and ‘Double Play Candy Corn’ that are sterile, non-invasive cultivars.
That said, if you’re in an area where Spiraea japonica is considered invasive, there are steps you can take to minimize its spread:
- Deadhead spent flowers – Removing blooms before they go to seed can prevent unwanted spreading
- Plant responsibly – Avoid planting near natural areas where seeds could disperse into wild habitats
- Monitor regularly – If seedlings do appear, remove them before they establish
If in doubt about any plant, you can always contact your local extension office or check invasive plant lists to make the best planting choices.
Spirea Bush Diseases and Problems
Like their rose relatives, spirea bushes can fall prey to leaf spot, fire blight, powdery mildew, root rot, aphids, leaf roller and scale. Offering full sun, good drainage, and air circulation (helped by spacing and regular pruning) and removing foliage affected with leaf spot will help avoid these issues.
“Regular trimming encourages fresh growth and better shape. Many species can become woody and overgrown, with fewer flowers without regular pruning,” says Natalie.
If your spirea bush is blooming less, although it’s still getting full sun, try pruning out weak, crossing, or dead branches in early spring to promote healthy growth.
Natalie notes that spirea cultivars like ‘Double Play Candy Corn’, and the rest of the Double Play series are bred to have a tighter, more compact habit that needs less maintenance.
About the Expert
Natalie Carmolli handles public relations for Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs. She grew up in the floral industry, and holds a certificate of mastery in tree and shrub identification from Longwood Gardens. An avid gardener and dynamic communicator, Natalie is passionate about sharing her love of gardening with shrubs, whether traveling across the country or in her backyard.
