Common Name:

General Information

Spiraea blumei is a deciduous shrub of broad but compact habit; it can grow from 100 - 200cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a tea. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens, valued for its early summer flowering display.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Thickets and ravines; at elevations from 600 - 2,000 metres in W. Hupeh[]. Mixed forests, slopes, limestone mountain valleys, stream sides, roadsides; at elevations from 500 - 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a position in full sun, but tolerates light shade. Tolerates most soils[], but prefers a good loamy, well-drained soil and abundant moisture[, ].
Species in this genus generally hybridize freely with other members of this genus, and so seed cannot be relied upon to come true unless the plant has been grown in isolation from other species that are flowering at the same time[].
A variable species, it is often confused in gardens with Spiraea trilobata[, ].
The plant flowers mainly on short growths growing from the previous year's wood. Shortening back the shoots in late winter to early spring, and cutting out old, weak shoots, can increase the quality and quantity of flowers[].

Edible Uses

The leaves are a tea substitute[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame if possible. It is likely to require stratification before it germinates, so stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as you receive it. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a light sandy soil a frame.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, 15cm long, autumn in an outdoor frame[].