MeadowsweetSpiraea alba
a.k.a. White Meadowsweet
Low, deciduous, woody shrub with many branches, often forming colonies. 3-6' in height. A nice landscape shrub, although it can be aggressive. It is a fast grower for habitat restorations and suitable for naturalistic landscapes. It will create large, dense thickets and it tends to increase with declining water levels or with disturbed sites.
USDA symbol: SPAL2
General Information
| Plant Type | Shrub |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 to 6 feet |
| Light Exposure | Sun |
| Soil Moisture | Medium |
| Bloom Color | White |
Tolerances
| Flooding / Inundation Tolerance | Moderate |
|---|---|
| General Resilience | 7 |
| Salt Tolerance | Low |
| Stress Tolerance | Fire Tolerant |
Pollinator Value: Very High
| Bloom Months | August to September |
|---|---|
| Larval Host of | Bees, Moths |
| Specific Pollinators Hosted | Andrena melanochroa, Sympistis piffardi |
| Pollinator Benefit | Insect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Generalists |
Project Planning
| Project Type | Restoration, Sandy or Engineered Soils, Shoreline Buffer |
|---|---|
| Coefficient of Conservatism | 5 |
| Herbivore Sensitivity | Medium |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Rate of Spread | Slow |
| Soil Stabilization | Shallow |
| Vegetative Reproduction | Clonal |
Range
| County | Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Mahnomen, Marshall, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine |
|---|---|
| Ecoregion | Driftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains |
| Approximate Eco Province | Eastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands |