Hardhack Spiraea tomentosa

Steeplebush, is an upright, multi-stemmed, suckering, deciduous shrub in the Roseacae (rose) family native to wet meadows, wet pastures, boggy areas, marshes, fields, and lake margins from Nova Scotia south to Louisiana and Georgia. As it's native location suggests, the plant needs moist acidic soils in order to grow well to its mature height of 4 feet with a slightly larger width.

Steeplebush is easy to grow in average, acidic, moist to wet soils in full sun. It will tolerate a wide range of soil and light shade, but a site with full sun is best for maximum blooming. Remove faded flower clusters as soon as practical to encourage additional blooms. The plant flowers on new wood, so prune in late winter to early spring if needed. This a vigorous plant that will spread by suckers to form colonies. The root system is woody and branching and the woody stems often die down to the ground during the winter.

A good selection for moist locations in the landscape or as a low hedge for paths and walkways. This is a flowering shrub with tiny pink to rose to rose-purple flowers clustered, top to bottom, on 4 to 8 inch terminal spikes that bloom from mid-summer to early autumn. These flowers attract butterflies.  It is  the larval host plant for the New England Buck moth (Hemileuca lucina)

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Susceptible to many of the diseases that attack other rose family members, including leaf spot, fire blight, and powdery mildew. Potential insect pests include aphids, leaf roller, caterpillars and scale. The caterpillars of some moths are known to feed on the leaves. Although White-Tailed Deer have been known to browse on Steeplebush, it is not preferred as a source of food because of the bitter and astringent foliage.