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Mainly clear skies. Low 58F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Mainly clear skies. Low 58F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

I hunt for shrubs that bloom for a long time. And I don’t want deer to munch on them. Is that too much to ask?

Turns out it isn’t too much to ask. I found encouraging news for the gardener with deer carnage and sun: Spirea. There are two main categories of the woody shrub: one that blooms in the spring from May until June, and the second blooming June through August. That’s a lot of bloom time! Did I say they were deer resistant? Yes, and I can testify that my friend Jama’s home has a Gold Mound Spirea and in four years not once was it nibbled even though other plants couldn’t survive the deer. There’s more to this plant than just beauty of shape and color, it attracts butterflies. Spirea are fast growing and within two years many of the varieties grow to full expected size.

What do all Spirea need? Full sun, that is six to eight hours of sunlight, but will survive on a little less. If it doesn’t receive enough sun the shrub will become thin and scraggly with few blossoms and money wasted. It is drought tolerant after the first year, and mulch added around the plant helps keep it hydrated, in addition to adding organic material to the soil. It’s not a heavy feeder but uses a continuous slow release fertilizer.

Spring Blossoming Spirea — Blooms from May until June

Bridal Wreath Spirea grows to six feet in height and eight feet wide. It develops double white flowers on bare cascading branches in the spring before the shiny green leaves develop. A row of these make a colorful hedge with white spring blossoms and rich yellow orange foliage in the fall. Renaissance Spirea also has small white flowers and cascading branches but is a smaller specimen growing six to seven feet tall and five to six feet wide, changing leaf color to an orange- red in the fall. Another version, Grefsheim Spirea can be tucked into smaller spaces growing four to five feet tall and wide. The leaves turn a red- brown in the fall.

Pruning spring Spirea must be done soon after blossoming since next year’s flowers are grown during the current summer. If pruned in the summer or fall, blossoms will not show up the following spring. Check out YouTube videos for excellent guidance on how and when to prune these great shrubs. DO NOT take hedge trimmers to the Spirea but prune in layers. Every few years go into the center of plant and cut the oldest and thickest of stalks, and prune them back to varying lengths.

Summer Blossoming Spirea — Blooms from July to early September

Japanese Spirea has the largest variety choices, colors, and sizes. The flowers’ colors are pink, red, white, and purple, and grow on the tips of the branches. Its foliage comes in shades of green, gold, or lime green. The varieties grow from three feet to eight feet in height. They have a thick round growth; flowers form on new growth and can be pruned in late fall or early spring. Faded flowers can be deadheaded and if early enough in the season, will help keep the blooms coming. A variety that should be in my garden soon is Double Play Doozie, the first ever Spirea that blooms all season. I’m a skeptical gardener, but after researching, I found that it does! The plant produces no seeds so that all the plant’s energy goes into creating reddish pink flowers all season long.

Another great variety, Gold Mound Spirea, has a goldish green color all season with pink flowers in June and July. It grows about three feet in height and width.

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