Back to main Search Page

Spiraea douglasii - Hook.

Steeplebush

Author	Hook.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Rosaceae	Genus	Spiraea
Synonyms	Spiraea menziesii - Hook.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Western N. America. Rarely naturalized in Britain[17].
Habitat	Almost always found in wet soils in redwood and red fir forests from sea level to elevations of 2100 metres[276].
Edibility Rating	0 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 2.5m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

An infusion of the seeds has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea[257].

Other Uses

The branches have been used to make brooms[257].

Cultivation details

Tolerates most soils[200], but prefers a good loamy soil, abundant moisture and full sunlight[11, 200]. Prefers a moist lime-free soil[182], plants quickly become chlorotic on chalk soils[200]. A very cold hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c[200]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[11]. A rampant suckering shrub, it quickly produces dense thickets and can be used for large-scale naturalistic plantings[200]. It is apt to get thin and poor unless divided up fairly regularly and replanted in fairly good soil[1].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame if possible. It is likely to require stratification before it germinates, so stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as you receive it. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a light sandy soil a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, 15cm long, October/November in an outdoor frame[200]. Another report says that September is a good time to do this[11]. Division of suckers in early spring[200]. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.

Links

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

[276] Flora of California 0
An on-line database of the Californian flora, giving details on plant habitats and photos of the plants.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Spiraea douglasii

Mark T Pierson Mon Jul 12 23:05:59 2004

I was looking for some detail re.my Spiraea Douglasii, and seeking to propagate it. After trying various of the websites that came up when I put the plant's name into a search engine, I tried yours (ie.one of the "results" of the search) which was much the most helpful. Thanks!

PS: I live in England, and although my Spiraea D. may not be as large as in the USA (where everything seems to be larger than here!!) it is certainly growing OK. From recollection it has come with me from my last two homes [or rather, the gardens of those homes], so it has endured moving also. I looked at the (old) packet recently and found that it was bought when the shop (not a garden centre) was selling certain plants off cheaply!

Spiraea douglasii

Mark T Pierson Mon Jul 12 23:05:59 2004

I was looking for some detail re.my Spiraea Douglasii, and seeking to propagate it. After trying various of the websites that came up when I put the plant's name into a search engine, I tried yours (ie.one of the "results" of the search) which was much the most helpful. Thanks!

PS: I live in Essex, and although my Spiraea D. may not be as large as I have seen pictures of some in the USA (where everything seems to be larger than here!!) it is certainly growing OK. From recollection it has come with me from my last two homes [or rather, the gardens of those homes], so it has endured moving also. I looked at the (old) packet recently and found that it was bought when the shop (not a proper garden centre) was selling certain plants off cheaply! (I altered this note after pressing "confirm", so it may be partly duplicated - sorry!)

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:

(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).