Bridal Wreath Spiraea Spiraea prunifolia

Bridal wreath spirea is a drought-tolerant, flowering, deciduous shrub that grows to 9 feet high and 8 feet wide. It tends to be twiggy in form, loose and fountain-like. The plant is easily grown in average, medium moisture, in well-drained soils, and does its best flowering when sited in full sun. It will tolerate light shade, a wide range of soils including clay, deer, and some drought. In its native China, the plant is often found on sunny hillsides or stony, barren places. Because it is an upright, arching shrub that can become leggy, you may want to prune as needed immediately after flowering. On the other hand, if left alone Bridal Wreath Spirea grows into what some consider a graceful, open, arching shrub with branches drooping all the way to the ground. Whether it is leggy or elegant, seems to be a matter of taste.

Bridal wreath is noted for its early spring bloom of double white flowers that appear in profusion along the bare branches. The pure white flowers are borne in long sprays that can be fashioned into wreaths and worn on the head for a special occasion, hence the name. The foliage appears after the blooms as small, shiny dark green leaves. Foliage often develops an attractive red-orange-yellow fall color.

S. prunifolia ‘Plena’ is the long-favored bridal wreath usually found in retail. Species plants as well as the single-flowered plant (Spiraea prunifolia var. simpliciflora) are generally not available. Note that the double-flowered plant was botanically described prior to the single-flowered plant, hence the double flower became the species and the single flower became a variety or form of the species. 

Insects, Diseases, and other Plant Problems:

This is an extremely durable shrub with no known serious insect or disease problems. However, It is susceptible to many of the diseases and insects that attack other rose family members, including leaf spot, fire blight, powdery mildew, root rot, aphids, leaf roller and scale.

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.