Steeplebush
Spiraea tomentosa
Steeple-shaped rose-pink spikes in July and August, when most shrubs are done. Thrives in the wet spots where other flowering shrubs fail.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Deep rose-pink blooms in July when most native shrubs have finished. a critical mid-summer pollinator resource.
Steeplebush earns its name from the tall, narrow, steeple-shaped pink flower spikes that bloom in July and August when most shrubs are done for the season. The color is a deep rose-pink that reads bright even from a distance, carried on fuzzy, woolly stems. The 'tomentosa' in the name describes the dense soft hairs on the undersides of the leaves and the young stems. It's a genuinely distinctive plant, not just another white-flowered summer shrub. It grows naturally in wet meadows, stream banks, and sunny swamp edges, the saturated spots where most flowering shrubs fail. In the garden, use it at the edge of a rain garden or in a consistently moist low spot. The dense flowering attracts a wide range of pollinators from mid-July through August, filling a gap in the pollinator calendar that's often underserved. Deer avoid it.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown steeplebush propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant steeplebush instead of Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in wet sites. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 2–4 ft · 24–48 in wide
- Bloom time
- July–August
- Bloom color
- Pink
- USDA zones
- 3–7
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Georgia, primarily moist meadows and wetland margins
Care notes for steeplebush.
Moist to wet, acidic soil in full sun. Tolerates periodic flooding. Cut to the ground in late winter to keep the plant dense and productive; it regenerates quickly from the roots. Spreads moderately by root suckers in ideal conditions. No fertilization needed.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside steeplebush.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.