False spirea the Vigorous Shrub

By Stephanie Boles (josette63) August 14, 2008

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False spirea is a deciduous shrub with leaves that resemble a feather. It has clusters of billowy white blossoms which move like ballet dancers in the wind. It is a tough shrub with a delicate appearance. It is not a shrub for small gardens. Nor is it for those who want compact shrubs which mind their manners. This shrub requires its own quarter. It grows rapidly and will gladly spread to fill a space of 5' to 8'. If you need a shrub that will quickly naturalize areas prone to erosion this is the shrub for you.

Sorbaria sorbifolia False spirea    
Also known as Ural False spirea and Ash Leaf spirea

 This is my False spirea the day I planted it not two years ago.

 This is my False spirea today.  It has grown to over 6' tall and spread to cover nearly a 5' area of fencing in less than two years.  I planted mine behind a lattice panel fence which I built to act as a partial windbreak and garden wall.  The False spirea is part of a grouping of shrubs I have arranged behind the fence to help break the wind and capture dust from the main road into our farm.  The wonderful feature about the False spirea is that it has grown to such a large size that it has created a feathery garden wall for added privacy in our yard.  It also makes a gorgeous background shrub for my other plants.  On the days when the wind blows gently I enjoy watching the False spirea dance gracefully on the breeze.

When researching this plant you will discover it is best grown in organically rich, well-drained soil.  My Midwestern soil is clay based, and therefore heavy.  I have had no trouble growing the False spirea in my heavy soil.  It will spread by root suckers, (stoloniferous roots), so be sure to remove the new plants it you do not want an entire colony, or goodness, an entire village of them in your yard! This plant can be invasive.  It is less invasive however in clay soil since the clay seems to inhibit its growth. You might want to consider giving your False spirea a good haircut by mowing it to the ground occasionally.  This should help to keep it under control.

Distinctive features: 

It bears a resemblance to the mountain ash.  (It is related to mountain ash, Sorbus)

 It has long, arching branches with deep green pinnate (resembles a feather) leaves that give you a sense of being among the lush jungles of the tropics whenever you stand near it.  In the fall the leaf color changes to pure yellow gold.

 The blooms are made up of downy white clusters at least 10 inches long.  It blooms in June-July.

The texture of the plant is somewhat course even though it has a fluttering, feathery appearance. 

 The dehiscent (dehiscent simply means gaping) seeds appear after the blooms.  They age to an unremarkable brown.

General information:

The False spirea is disease resistant and has no known pest problems.
For those of you searching for a plant that is tolerant of the sea air, this is a salt tolerant shrub.
Prune the False spirea in early spring since the flowers develop on new wood.

Drawbacks:

This shrub can be invasive and will quickly become a problem in small gardens or areas where you do not want large colonies of shrubs.  If grown in heavy clay soil this tends to somewhat hinder the False spirea's propensity to sucker root.

Best uses for the False spirea:

 The False spirea is best suited for naturalizing areas such as erosion prone banks, slopes. Use it to create windbreaks or shrub borders where you desire an untamed look.  It would work for the background shrub in a large cottage garden as well.

Interesting fact: The False spirea's native range is Eastern Siberia, Korea, Japan, Manchuria and even in Northern China.

Hardiness Zone: 2-9
Growth rate:  Fast. It reaches 5'-10' and just as wide, quickly.
Bloom time:  June-July
Moisture requirements:  Medium
Maintenance:  Low (If planted where you allow it to grow and spread as it wills.)

I hope you enjoy your False spirea as much as I enjoy mine.

All photos are from my gardens.

~Pleasant gardening

About Stephanie Boles   Stephanie is a Floridian, transplanted to Missouri and married to a Missouri farmboy. She is a mother who enjoys the farm, teaching Sunday school, working as a church musician and a part-time puppeteer. She spends a large part of her time helping the DH on building/remodeling their house. She designs the gardens and her DH helps to landscape them. She makes old fashioned bed dolls in her spare time. She is currently working on her first novel...a Christian Regency Romance.

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Subject: False spirea from seed

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Posted by herbassassin (from Topeka, KS) on September 9, 2008 at 5:35 PM:

Thanks Stephanie for the great article. I was wondering if you have tried planting any of the seed or if you know if it can be grown in KS in this way. If so any idea where I might find some seed or should I just plan on saving 'til I can afford a plant?

Tony

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Posted by chickaroo (from Lakeland, FL) on August 19, 2008 at 3:09 PM:

I live in central Fla and I was wondering how the false spirea would grow here. I have no clay, just good sandy soil.

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Posted by oriole (from Mifflintown, PA) on August 14, 2008 at 12:29 PM:

Thanks for a great article. I may need to try one of them, I have a lot of banks and clay soil. How much sun do I need?

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Posted by josette63 (from Savannah, MO) on August 14, 2008 at 3:30 PM:

Hey oriole, My False spirea is in the full sun. It seems quite happy there.
Thanks, Steph

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Posted by aguy1947 (from Portugal Cove-St. Ph, NL) on August 18, 2008 at 6:30 AM:

Thank you for the article. I once encountered this vigourous shrub here in Nfld., and forgotten that it is a good candidate for big gardens and open spaces here.

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