Rose Spirea (Spiraea douglasii)

Also known as hardhack, rose spirea is a showy moisture-loving shrub. Its tall, upright, straight stems are topped with dense spires of fuzzy purplish-pink flowers throughout the summer, which are a magnet for bumblebees and butterflies. It spreads by rhizomes to form thickets, creating excellent habitat for birds and making it useful for stabilizing soils in riparian areas. While it can grow in drier soils, it prefers moist areas, and handles flooding well; it can often be found growing at the edges of lakes with its roots completely submerged underwater. Rose spirea is a beautiful plant for moist, wild gardens, habitat hedgerows, rain gardens, and pollinator plantings.

Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Soil & Moisture: Moist to wet soil. Grows in a variety of soil types, including clay.
Mature Size: Up to 6' tall, spreads through rhizomes
Bloom Time: Summer
Edible: No
Wildlife Value: Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Butterfly and moth host plant. Seeds eaten by birds and other wildlife. Provides cover and nesting sites. Browsed by deer.
Native Range & Habitat: Moist and open sites, wet meadows, bogs, swamps, borders of lakes and streams from low to high elevations. Native to the west coast from Alaska, south to California.
Other Names: Douglas spirea, hardhack