Spireae Arguta
Bridal Wreath Spirea
ROSACEAE
This is a reliable shrub producing a beautiful display of white flowers regularly each year in April and May. The unruly, arching shoots are best displayed in the front of a bed.
This shrub belongs to a genus of about 80 species which come from Europe and North America as far south as Mexico.
Notice that the shrub is in the rose family and the tiny flowers, under a microscope, do look like roses, but the beauty of this bush is its overall display.
Most spirea relatives bloom in spring, but there are some varieties that bloom in autumn.
This deciduous shrub grows up to 6 to 8 feet and should be grown in fertile, moist, well drained soil in full sun to light shade. In southern zones keep away from mid-day heat. The one in the photo grows in the heavier shade of live oaks in a northern Florida backyard.
They are easy to grow and provide few problems. We have one plant book that says it grows in zones 5 - 8 and another that says zones 4 - 10. This one is in zone 9a.
Propagation is either by planting semi-ripe, greenwood cuttings in a cold frame in summer or hardwood cuttings in the open in late autumn.
Prune old and weak shoots when the blooms have faded.
Pests: dieback, fireblight, powdery mildew, scale insects and aphids.