Common Name:

General Information

Spiraea canescens is a deciduous shrub that can usually grows round 180 - 250cm tal, but can reach 450cm. The main stems are erect, but produce towards the top slender, arching or pendulous branches that can grow 100cm or more long in one season and then flower profusely the next[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is used to make walking sticks. It is often grown as an ornamental, valued for its summer flowering display.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - China (Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan, Xizang) to the Himalayas of India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Habitat

Scrub and hedges, at elevations from 1,500 - 3,000 metres[]. Open hillsides above 2,100 metres in Uttar Pradesh[]. Thickets, thicket margins, valleys, river banks, stream sides, dry places; at elevations from 2,300 - 4,000 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Spiraea canescens is very cold tolerant, withstanding temperatures down to about -25°c[].
Tolerates most soils[], but prefers a good loamy soil, abundant moisture and full sunlight[, ].
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[].
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

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Wood - fairly hard, close and even grained. Used for making light walking sticks[, ].

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[].