Forum home Plants

Is this shrub a Spiraea?

lizmaclizmac Posts: 77
If it is a Spiraea - when should it be pruned please - I remember it once had white blossoms but it hasn't flowered this year so think I must have pruned it at the wrong time.   If it isn't a Spiraea - ? what it is please

Posts

  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,368
    It is one of the Spring flowering Spirea  , depends on what shape you want it to be . Some shape it round it off immediately after its finished flowering or remove some old branches to the base. It flowers on old wood so any growth this year will provide flowers for next year. If you do round it off you don't tend to get the long graceful arching stems full of flowers. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,184
    @Perki is right - they flower on the previous year's growth, so if you do nothing to  it, you should have flowers next spring. 
    They do look best when they're allowed to do their 'natural' thing and have that fountain of white flowers. I love them  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • lizmaclizmac Posts: 77
    So - if I left it until after it has flowered in Spring - how far can I prune it down - its too big for its space at the moment?
  • Wow I love it.  Looks like it is exploding! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,184
    They can look like fireworks in autumn too, if left to their own devices a bit  :)

    This isn't mine, but it always made me smile in the way to work

    You can prune them back quite hard, but if you want to lower the height, you can take individual stems out to keep a more natural shape, rather than just hacking everything back to the same height.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • lizmaclizmac Posts: 77
    Thanks Fairygirl - thats very helpful
Sign In or Register to comment.