Sorbaria sorbifolia
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- sor-BAY-ree-uh sor-bee-FOH-lee-uh
- Description
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Sorbaria sorbifolia, or False Spirea, is a deciduous, erect, multi-stemmed shrub that is best grown in average, medium moisture, organically rich, well-drained soil. It flowers best when sited in full sun and spreads by suckers to form colonies. It is a hardy and aggressive plant and you should remove the root suckers promptly to control its spread and prune in late winter and early spring before new growth. To rejuvenate a tired plant, you can cut it close to the ground. Ural Spirea is a cultivar that does not have the invasive characteristic of the parent False Spirea, making it much improved variant for the home gardener.
This coarse shrub grows to 5 to 8 feet tall (sometimes to 10 feet) and as wide. It displays masses of tiny white flowers in early summer and the deep green foliage resembles mountain ash to which it is related. It is sometimes planted en mass for erosion control.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. It can spread aggressively by root suckers, particularly in loose soils and seems to be less invasive in heavy clay soils.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Sem
- Ural False Spirea
less invasive than False Spirea
- Sem
- Sem, Ural False Spirea
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Sem
- Ural False Spirea
less invasive than False Spirea
- Sem
- Sem, Ural False Spirea
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Sorbaria
- Species:
- sorbifolia
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and Eastern Asia
- Dimensions:
- Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Masses of 0.3 inch white flowers in June and July borne on 4 to 10 inch panicle on new growth.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Insignificant
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Doubly Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Dark green leaves, 8 to 12 inches long, 13-25 leaflets; non-showy fall color.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Slope/Bank
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Erosion