Spirea

A part of the deciduous shrub family, Spirea plants are easy to grow and bloom freely. 18in - 18 ft high, spiraea rewards us with cone or dome-shaped blooms on upright shoots or on pendulous or arching stems. There are two groups; spring flowering and summer flowering. Among the popular of the spirea's is "Goldflame," prized for its dark pink flowers and radiant golden-orange leaves in spring. Plant spiraea bushes to punctuate a border, carpet a rock garden pocket, adorn a patio tub, or screen out an ugly view. It's a very hardy and they prefer full sun in which stocky shoot flower well and colored-leaved varieties develop vivid hues. Spirea shrubs also thrive in a wide range of well-drained soils but dislike dry or very alkaline conditions. Improve sandy patches by digging in plenty of rotted organic matter. Hardy to -13 degrees Fahrenheit. You can plant March-April and October-November. Depending on the variety it flowers March-September. Prune May-September.