Steeplebush

Spiraea tomentosa L.

Rose family

Plant Type

Shrub

Life Cycle

Perennial

Mature Height

4.0 feet

Spread

3.0 feet

Flower Color

Purple

Bloom Time

Summer

Growing Conditions

Light

Shade Tolerance Intolerant

Water

Water Use Low

Drought Tolerance Medium

Flood Tolerance Low

Soil

Soil Types Clay, Loam, Sand

CaCO3 Tolerance Medium

Fertility Need Low

Stress Tolerance

Fire Tolerance Medium

Salt Tolerance None

Climate

pH Range 4.5 – 7.0

Frost-Free Days 110 days

Precipitation 30 – 60 in

Ecosystem & Wildlife

Pollinators Native Bees; Bombus; Honey Bees; Beetles, Wasps, Flies; Butterflies; Larval Host (Moth)

Larval Host Evora hemidesma, Harrisimemna trisignata, Hemileuca lucina, Hyalophora cecropia, Hyalophora columbia columbia, Lymantria dispar

Fall Color Yes

Evergreen No

Native Range

USA: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
CAN: New Brunswick, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Québec

Regional Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.