Sorbaria sorbifolia Seeds | False Spiraea
LATIN NAME: Sorbaria sorbifolia
COMMON NAME: False Spiraea
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, False Spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) is a fern in the rose family (Rosaceae). False spiraea foam arching, suckering stems with pinnate, fern-like, green leaves and large, dense, pyramid-shaped clusters of small, creamy-white flowers that open through early summer, the whole shrub covered with the foamy white bloom. Flowers keep fresh, airy look, and leaves colour soft red in the autumn. It likes sun or part shade, and moist, well-drained soil. During flowering it gives bees and other insects a dependable food source. It is the sort of plant that quietly justifies the space it occupies.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the rose family, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. In rose family, false spiraea has a recognised place in studies of hardy flowering shrubs, and species appears in research on flower biology and suckering spread. Little about its garden performance is mysterious; it has been grown and observed for a very long time.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value False Spiraea for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In sunny border, false spiraea foam white over early summer. Fern-like leaves keep fresh, airy look, flowers feed bees, and fast, suckering growth makes dense screen and bank cover. It stands cold well and grows in moist, well-drained ground. In later seasons it demands little more than an appreciative eye.
False spiraea foams with creamy summer plumes for bees; it is a tough, suckering shrub for big informal gardens.
Growing from Seed
False Spiraea is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Use a loose, well-drained seed compost, sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly, and keep everything evenly moist in partial shade. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Among the Sorbaria group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. From then on, routine care is all that is required.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as False Spiraea: