Spiraea virginiana
Spiraea tomentosa
Virginia meadowsweet, Virginia or West Virginia spiraea, Virginia spiraea
hardhack, rosy meadowsweet, spirée tomenteuse, steeplebush
erect to arching or prostrate, densely branched.
erect to ascending, rarely branched.
petiole 2–5 mm;
blade ovate to oblanceolate, 3–5 × 1–1.5 cm (length 3 times width), membranous, base acute, margins entire or dentate teeth 1–4 in distal 1/4 of blade, mucronate, number of primary and secondary serrations 1 times number of secondary veins (excluding inter-secondary veins), venation pinnate cladodromous, secondary veins not prominent, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glaucous, mostly glabrous, adaxial glabrous.
petiole 2–3 mm;
blade bicolorous, ovate-lanceolate, 3–6 × 1–2.5 cm, coriaceous, base cuneate, margins coarsely serrate to crenate on distal 3/4, (secondary teeth on large and long shoot leaves), venation pinnate craspedodromous, secondary veins prominent, apex acute or rounded, abaxial surface densely white to gray, tan, or rusty, tomentose, adaxial glabrous or puberulent.
mostly terminal, corymbiform or hemispheric panicles, 2–8 × 5–22 cm height 0.5–1 times diam.;
branches frequently in axils of leaves, usually glabrous or pubescent, sometimes villous.
predominantly terminal, narrow, conic panicles, 150–15,000+-flowered, 5–30 × 3–20 cm, branching varying from compact to wide and spreading;
branches tomentose.
1–3 mm, usually glabrous or pubescent, sometimes villous.
0.1–1.5 mm, tomentose.
5–7 mm diam.;
hypanthia turbinate to campanulate, 1.2–1.8 mm, surfaces glabrous or pubescent;
sepals triangular, 1–1.2 mm;
petals yellowish white, greenish white, or translucent white, ovate to orbiculate, 1.8–2 mm;
staminodes 0;
stamens 25–45, 2 times petal length.
4–6 mm diam.;
hypanthia hemispheric, 0.5–1 mm, abaxial surface tomentose, adaxial glabrous;
sepals triangular, 0.7–1.1 mm;
petals usually light to dark pink, sometimes white or purple, ovate to orbiculate, 1–1.5 mm;
staminodes 0;
stamens 15–20, 1 times petal length.
oblanceoloid, 1.5–2 mm, shiny, glabrous.
cymbiform, 2–2.5 mm, tomentose to arachnoid.
= 24, 36.
Spiraea virginiana
Spiraea tomentosa
Of conservation concern.
Spiraea virginiana is endemic to the southern Blue Ridge and Appalachian Plateau physiographic provinces. In stream and river reaches, where there is little variation in flow volume and velocity, available habitat for S. virginiana would decline over time without scour and redeposition of sediments. The species reproduces primarily through asexual propagation: the stems break during high flows, are transported and deposited in sediments, and take root, establishing plants (D. W. Ogle 1991b; C. M. Anders and Z. E. Murrell 2001). Ogle (1991, 1991b) conducted a comprehensive analysis of the species and found viable seed to be rare on individuals found within local populations, confined to a single stream corridor. When plants from different populations were brought together in cultivation, abundant viable seed was produced (Ogle 1991b).
All populations of Spiraea virginiana examined by J. R. Brzyski and T. M. Culley (2011) had higher levels of genetic differentiation among populations, and lower values of genotypic richness within populations, than would be expected for a clonal organism.
Spiraea virginiana is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
P. J. Salamun (1951) conducted a comprehensive study of variation of the inflorescence across much of the range of Spiraea tomentosa and concluded that the two varieties could be segregated based upon the number of flowers or fruits per centimeter (density) of a lateral branch of the inflorescence. Intermediate populations have been identified, particularly in western New York and Pennsylvania. A. Gille (1949) discussed the overall distribution of S. tomentosa without evaluating varieties, and conducted a detailed study of its ecology in Quebec. The occurrences of this species in Oregon are as a weed in cranberry bogs; it has the potential to spread to natural wetlands. The species is reported as invasive in Belgium and Poland.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Pedicels usually not visible, 0.1–0.5 mm; flowers or fruits 12–20 per cm of branches. | var. tomentosa |
1. Pedicels easily visible, 0.5–1.5 mm; flowers or fruits 6–11 per cm of branches. | var. rosea |
- Local floras:
OR - Local Web sites:
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
KS Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
