Spiraea trichocarpa — identification & habitat

Korean spirea is a white-flowered shrub native to the mountains of Korea and China. It is not native to the US but is grown in gardens, blooming in late spring with arching sprays of rounded flower clusters.

Appearance

Growth form: A deciduous shrub with stiff, spreading branches, about 3–5 ft (1–1.5 m) tall in the wild in Korea and 4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m) in gardens. Young shoots are smooth and distinctly angled.
Leaves: Narrow, oblong leaves about ⅔–2½ in (1.5–6 cm) long, bright green above and whitish beneath, smooth, with few or no teeth near the tip.
Flowers: White flowers about ⅓ in (8 mm) wide, in rounded clusters 1–2 in (2.5–5 cm) across. The clusters top short leafy twigs along last year's shoots, forming arching sprays sometimes over 1 ft (30 cm) long.
Flowering time: May–June
Fruit: The small dry seed pods are densely covered in brown hairs.

Look-alikes

Vanhoutte spireaSpiraea × vanhouttei

It blooms earlier, in April and May, and its blue-green leaves are toothed or cut on the upper half, sometimes with 3–5 lobes. Korean spirea blooms later and its leaves have few or no teeth.

Why they get mixed upBoth are garden spireas with arching branches covered in rounded white flower clusters, and Vanhoutte spirea is a very common landscape shrub.

Reeves spirea (bridalwreath spirea)Spiraea cantoniensis

Its leaves have irregular teeth on the upper half. Korean spirea has few or no teeth and densely hairy seed pods.

Why they get mixed upBoth are garden spireas with rounded clusters of white flowers.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: mountain slopes
valleys
gardens
Range: Native to Korea and China. In the US it is known only as a garden and arboretum plant.
Preferred conditions: In gardens it takes full sun to partial shade and is hardy in 4–8.
Flowering: Flowers May–Jun
Flowers May–Jun