← Bedfellow

Steeplebush

Spiraea tomentosa

Narrow rose-pink flower steeples rise over wool-backed leaves in damp meadows. A long-blooming pollinator shrub for wet, sunny ground.

Family

Rosaceae

Type

shrub

Lifespan

perennial

Height

2–4 ft

Spacing

3–5 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

July, August, September

Bloom colors

red, pink, purple

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~89 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

foundation, rain garden, erosion control

Native states

AL, AR, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV