Garland spiraea Spiraea x cinerea 'Grefsheim'

Spiraea x cinerea 'Grefsheim', or Garland spiraea, is a cultivar of the spiraea family. As with all spiraea, it is a dense, compact, deciduous flowering shrub with outward arching branches. This particular cultivar is noted for its early blossoms, producing fragrant white flowers in early spring along slender naked branches. The foliage of narrow, green, leaves is dense on the branches, but appears after the blooms. Old, dried flower heads will remain on the plant after blooming and can be pruned off with a light shearing to encourage continued blossoms. The plant, itself, flowers on new wood so it is best to prune the branches in late winter or early spring. This plant works well on banks, as a low mass or filler, or as the front of a shrub border.

Garland spiraea is drought tolerant and has an upright, broadly mounded form. The plant prefers rich loam, but grows in a range of soil types (including clay) in average, medium moisture, good drainage, and full sun. It will not do well in wet, poorly drained, soil. It tolerates light shade, but blossoms best when sited in full sun. It can be an aggressive self-seeder and has been known to escape gardens and naturalize in many areas of the eastern United States. The plant can also spread in the garden by suckering.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:

Spiraeas are 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.