Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Sorbaria sorbifolia, False Spirea

Red and gold leaved Sorbaria sorbifolia, False Spirea, with Aster hybrida 'Peter III'.
Sorbaria sorbifolia, False Spirea, is a new plant in our garden this fall. Its foliage resembles the Rhus family (sumacs) and it is native to Asia. Other common names for this plants are False Goat's Beard, Appleberry and Ural False Spirea (see Wikipedia).


I am completely in love with it already because of its beautiful autumn foliage, but there is more to come! It also flowers with large white clusters in mid-summer to refresh the garden. The Sorbaria sorbifolia flowers resemble the fluffy flowers of true Spireas.

My plant tag says to expected it to be 5-10 foot tall and wide (1.5-3m). It is hardy to -50 degrees F (-45 C), meaning it should survive all the way to zone 2 for cold (and heat to zone 8).  This plant is often seen in large containers and it is a good candidate for a container, even in my cold zone 5, since can handle such extreme cold. Pruning it in late winter is suggested.
Sorbaria sorbifolia with Aster hybrida 'Peter III', Lamium, Rose of Sharon and Miscanthus 'Dixieland' in our Driveway Garden.
Sorbaria sorbifolia with a pink tinged Dahlia and Spirea 'Goldflame' in our Front Walk Garden.
Photo of Sorbaria sorbifolia's July blooms from CNSEED.org
Sorbaria sorbifolia glowing in the autumn sunset in our "pumpkin patch" by the back door (also know as the Driveway Garden).

15 comments:

  1. Hi Julie... I guess I hadn't come across your blog or Pinterest site before you started following mine... I of course, immediately started following as you obviously appreciate gardens in a big way, as do I! I anticipate enjoying your posts as I work my way through your archives over the course of the next few weeks. Looking forward to your wonderful photos as well as the exciting photo collection you've amassed on Pinterest... Sincerely, Larry

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Larry! Looking forward to catching up with your blog this winter also.
      ~Julie

      Delete
  2. What nice fall colors the Sorbaria sorbifolia, False Spirea puts on. It makes a nice foil for the blue aster.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is truly beautiful in that spot. Unfortunately, it can not live there forever, unless contained in a pot. But I am looking forward to finding it another home next year.
      ~Julie

      Delete
  3. Beautiful foliage of the Sorbaria sorbifolia, I heard before of this plant but did not know exactly what is was looking like. Wow, but sorry Sorbaria I cannot find a suitable place for you in my garden. Thank you very much for your gorgeous colourful post again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps try it in a pot somewhere? So glad you are enjoying fall in Pennsylvania!
      ~Julie

      Delete
  4. It sure is beautiful - I had no idea its mature size was so large!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the texture of the leaves as well as the beautiful autumn colour. Thanks for alerting me to this plant. Christina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It would be truly breathtaking in your climate, I am sure. Or are you warmer than a zone 8, or whatever your equivalent is?
      ~Julie

      Delete
  6. Julie it sounds like a wonderful plant and I look forward to see it in bloom...

    ReplyDelete
  7. It looks lovely in your garden. Nice autumn color. I love it. Thanks for sharing the photos.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I recieved a snip-it of false spirea from my Grandmother's garden years ago and it has ttravelled with me ever since. I love the plant but be careful as it can become quite invasive in the right spot. We now live on an acreage so I placed it further out and it can roam in peace.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We have found it gets into waterways here, making dense thickets which crowd out our native ferns and anything else. Advise at least cutting back after flowering to prevent seeding.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...