Family: Rosaceae
Scientific Name: Spiraea thunbergii Ogon
Common Name: Mellow Yellow Spirea
Description | A wispy shrub with yellow foliage and white flowers early in the spring. |
Pronunciation | (spy-REE-ah) |
Plant Type | All Plants, Shrubs Deciduous |
Hardiness Zone | 4-8 |
Sunlight | prefers full sun, tolerates some shade |
Moisture | average |
Soil & Site | average |
Flowers | Masses of small white flowers on cascading branches appearing before the leaves. One of the first Spirea to bloom in the spring. |
Leaves | The leaves are yellow in the spring fading to chartreuse. Fall foliage can be a combination of reds, oranges and yellows. |
Stems | Slender branches rise from base of plant. |
Roots | fiborous |
Dimensions | reaches 3-5 by 3-5 or larger |
Maintenance | Flowers on old wood so prune after flowering. Will look unkept if not pruned. |
Propagation | softwood cuttings |
Native Site | The species plant S. thunbergii is native to China and Japan. |
Cultivar Origin | Mellow Yellow was introduced in 2000 by East Asian plant expert Barry Yinger. |
Misc Facts | "Specific epithet honors Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), Swedish plant explorer, who introduced species plants to Europe". (#144) |
Author's Notes | The yellow spring color will pop when planted against a dark background of green shrubs. |
Notes & Reference | #01-Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Michael Dirr), #144-Missouri Botanical Gardens web site (www.missouribotanicalgarden.org) |
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