Plant Encyclopedia

Brand:  First Editions

Description:

Beautiful sprays of pink flowers in early summer stand out against petite golden foliage; a natural dwarf with rounded habit requires little or no pruning; hardier than most golden spireas, holds its golden yellow color throughout summer

Ornamental Features

Sundrop™ Spirea is draped in stunning clusters of pink flowers at the ends of the branches from late spring to early summer. It has attractive gold deciduous foliage. The small pointy leaves are highly ornamental and turn an outstanding red in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Sundrop™ Spirea is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Sundrop™ Spirea is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Sundrop™ Spirea will grow to be about 15 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Sundrop™ Spirea makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.