or false spirea
The genus Sorbaria belongs to the Rose family (Rosaceae), and also in that clan are the Sorbus or mountain ash whose leaves are similar to Sorbaria. Ballyroberts website tells us that ‘The genus Sorbaria was first recognised as one of the species of the genus Spiraea by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, but was moved into a genus of its own in 1860 by Alexander Braun. This might explain the common name ‘False Spirea’.’
Why I like this plant so much is because it starts to show signs of life very early in the year – it was in February that I spotted its fresh feathery growth, and a very welcome sight it was too. Palest lime green in colour, and flushed pinky bronze, the dainty foliage looks good right up until the (faintly uninteresting) creamy white flowers appear in midsummer at which point the leaves turn green. But it’s not all over yet, it also has great autumn colour!
We have chosen to grow our Sorbaria in a container because there can be no denying its thuggish tendencies in some gardens; it spreads by suckers. The upright stems can also get fairly tall – up to 3m – but there is a newish kid on the block named ‘Sem’ that may be the answer.
I have no experience of growing it and although it is lauded for growing to only half the size of the species, it is still described by the RHS as ‘thicket forming’ which to my sceptical ears rings alarm bells. They have given it an AGM however, but say on their website: ‘Has the potential to become a nuisance if not managed well’!
NB Louise has published a beautifully produced book of her plant profiles – A Plant for Each Week of the Year. It costs £9.99 and is for sale in our online shop here.
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