Meadowsweet is a native deciduous shrub growing to 3-4' tall and wide.  While a relative to the invasive Japanese spiraea, it is a tame, native alternative!  The shrub is made up of many unbranched erect stems ending in fuzzy white fragrant blooms in the summer. Flowers produce pollen and nectar which attract bees, butterflies, wasps, moths, adult long-horned beetles, and more - you'll see a plethora of pollinator visitors!  Meadowsweet is also a larval host for the spring azure butterfly.  Foliage turns a lovely yellow in fall. Meadowsweet is tolerant of wet soils and does well near ponds, streambanks, in low boggy areas of a yard, or in a cottage garden that gets regular watering.  Works great for streambank restoration as well as in rain gardens! If Meadowsweet gets leggy, prune in late winter and it will send out a denser flush of growth that season.

Save 22% on 8"pots of Spiraea alba through Sunday April 27th - now only $18!

Family: Rose Family

Native Range: Canada, Midwest, New England and down to North Carolina – we are the southernmost state where Meadowsweet naturally grows.

Fun Fact:  The flowers are borne on determinate inflorescences (cymose) and open from the top down in a basipetal order. 

Growing Conditions:

Soil: Prefers moist or wet soil

Sunlight: Performs best in full sun to part shade

Height/Width: 3-4’ tall and wide

Zones: 3-7

Photo courtesy Prairie Moon Nursery.