did you know?

Bumald spirea, a cross between Japanese white spirea and common Japanese spirea is known to send out branches with oddly colored or variegated leaves, called sports, which accounts for the widely varying appearance of 'Anthony Waterer' cultivars across the country.

general maintenance:

Prune in early spring to promote branching and maintain shape. Deadhead spent blooms and shear lightly as blooms fade to promote flowering. Remove crossing or damaged stems to maintain health.

pests/diseases:

Aphids, scale, fireblight, and powdery mildew may occur.

controls:

Regularly hose off aphids with a directed stream of water or apply insecticidal soap, following label directions. Remove scale-infested stems or apply horticultural oil, following label directions. Remove stems infected with fireblight 12 inches below visible damage. Sanitize tools with alcohol between each cut. To discourage powdery mildew, place plants for adequate air circulation and avoid wetting foliage when watering. Pick off diseased leaves where practical and remove and destroy severely infected plants.

how to sow/plant:

Choose a sunny to partly sunny site with well-drained soil, making sure there is enough room for shrub to reach its mature spread. In early spring, dig a hole twice the width of container or root ball. Set plant at same depth or slightly higher than it was in pot or, if balled, level with top of root ball. Fill in hole around plant with soil, mound soil to form a 2-inch high ridge around perimeter of the hole to act as a catchbasin. If plant is balled in synthetic fabric, remove carefully before planting. Natural-fiber burlap may be left around root ball and then peeled back once plant is set in hole. Water thoroughly, filling the basin and allowing water to settle several times. Spread 2 inches of mulch around plant to retain water and deter weeds.

water and fertilize:

Maintain uniform soil moisture the first season. Be sure the soil is moist before the ground freezes in fall. Each spring before growth begins, apply an all-purpose fertilizer, following label directions. Once shrub is established, usually by the third year, water only in times of drought.

garden hint:

To maintain spirea's compact form, prune it 12 inches from the ground in early spring to encourage branching from the base. Spirea bears flowers on the current year's growth, so the more new stems, the more dazzling carmine flower clusters you'll enjoy.

features:

• Attractive Flowers
• Attractive Foliage
• Attracts Butterflies
• Deciduous
• Drought Tolerant
• Shade Tolerant

garden uses:

• Edging

other uses:

• Cut Flower

combine with:

mock orange, butterfly bush, and viburnum in a flowering shrub border.