Spiraea douglasii
| Spiraea douglasii | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 8' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Early Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Spiraea douglasii (common name: steeplebush)
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]. Prefers a moist lime-free soil[3], plants quickly become chlorotic on chalk soils[1].
A very cold hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c[1].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[2].
A rampant suckering shrub, it quickly produces dense thickets and can be used for large-scale naturalistic plantings[1]. It is apt to get thin and poor unless divided up fairly regularly and replanted in fairly good soil[4].
Range: Western N. America. Rarely naturalized in Britain[5].
Habitat: Almost always found in wet soils in redwood and red fir forests from sea level to elevations of 2100 metres[6].
Medicinal: An infusion of the seeds has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea[7].
Usage: The branches have been used to make brooms[7].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: S. menziesii.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Flora of California.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.