Spiraea blumei
| Spiraea blumei | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Spiraea blumei
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, July/August in a light sandy soil a frame.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, 15cm long, October/November in an outdoor frame[1]. Another report says that September is a good time to do this[2].
Division of suckers in early spring[1]. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.
Cultivation: Tolerates most soils[1], but prefers a good loamy soil, abundant moisture and full sunlight[2][1].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[2].
A variable species, it is often confused in gardens with S. trilobata[2][1].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat: Thickets and ravines, 600 - 2000 metres in W. Hupeh[3]. Sunny slopes, mixed forests and roadsides at elevations of 500 - 2000 metres[4].
Edibility: The leaves are a tea substitute[5][6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Wilson, Ernest and Charles Sargent. Plantae Wilsonianae.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.