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Willowleaf Meadowsweet

Spiraea salicifolia

Found in cultivated, escaped or persisting. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Light
Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
See native alternatives

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  • Elliott's Blueberry
    Vaccinium elliottii

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Pink or white.

    Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, light

    Different: bloom season

  • Northern Highbush Blueberry
    Vaccinium corymbosum

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Pink or white.

    Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, light

    Different: bloom season

  • Red Chokeberry
    Aronia arbutifolia

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Moist to standing water. Flowers: Pink or white.

    Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, light

    Different: bloom season

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At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
June to August
Fruiting season
July to September

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread

Recorded in 5 Virginia counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

65CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Spiraea

  • Acronicta impressaImpressive Dagger, Printed Dagger
  • Acronicta noctivagaNight-Wandering Dagger, Burglar Dagger
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Celastrina neglectaSummer Azure
Show all 65
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Clepsis melaleucanusBlack-Patched Clepsis, Trillium Tortrix
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Euchlaena effectaEffective Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena irrariaLeast-Marked Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena johnsonariaJohnson's Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena serrataThe Saw-Wing
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Eupithecia misturataInsignificant Pug
  • Eupithecia satyrataSatyr Pug
  • Eurois occultaGreat Grey Dart, Great Brocade
  • Evora hemidesmaSpirea Leaftier
  • Glena cognatariaBlueberry Gray
  • Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Lacinipolia loreaBridled Arches, Bridle Groundcat
  • Lophocampa maculataSpotted Tussock Moth, Yellow-Spotted Tiger Moth
  • Lycophotia phyllophoraBrick Dart, Leafy Dart
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Metarranthis duariaRuddy Metarranthis
  • Metarranthis hypochrariaCommon Metarranthis
  • Metarranthis obfirmariaYellow-Washed Metarranthis
  • Morrisonia evictaBicolored Woodgrain
  • Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia revictaSubdued Quaker
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Pero morrisonariaMorrison's Pero
  • Phlogophora periculosaBrown Angle Shades
  • Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Pseudohermonassa bicarneaPink-Spotted Dart
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Rheumaptera hastataSpear-Marked Black Moth, Spear Mark
  • Rheumaptera prunivorataFerguson's Scallop Shell, Cherry Scallop Shell
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Sicya maculariaSharp-Lined Yellow
  • Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
  • Sphinx gordiusApple Sphinx
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spiramater lutraDarling Mamestra, Splashed Arches, Otter Spiramater, Otter Arches
  • Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
  • Xanthotype urticariaFalse Crocus Geometer
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
  • Xestia normanianusNorman's Dart
  • Xylena nuperaRed Swordgrass Moth, American Swordgrass Moth, False Armyworm
  • Acleris macdunnoughi
  • Olethreutes albiciliana
  • Olethreutes valdanum
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Spiraea

  • Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Rosaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Pink or white
Fruit begins
July
Fruit ends
September

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Virginia rankSNA
Global rankGNR
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources