Steeplebush

Spiraea tomentosa

Found in bogs, wet meadows. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height: 2–4 feet
Spread: 3–5 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 4 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 6 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Spiraea tomentosa — bloom photograph — (c) christine123, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph · Cropped from the original photograph.

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Summer
Fruiting season: September to October

Recorded in 41 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Wet meadows

Open, wet, grassy or sedgy ground that is not a bog.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 131 animals.

Alder Flycatcher
Empidonax alnorum
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora pinus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Golden-winged Warbler
Vermivora chrysoptera
Birds. 2 shared habitats

All wildlife of Virginia

Care

Keep the soil moist.
Optional bloom tip: Removing faded flower clusters can encourage more blooms.

Care sources

NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Spiraea tomentosa

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)

6BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Spiraea

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist 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

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Rosaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: Pink or purple
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: September
Fruit ends: October

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “Pink or purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox, USDA PLANTS differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox, USDA PLANTS differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “2–4 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs)
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “3–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Hardhack

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S4
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Suckers and forms colonies. Spreads by suckers to form colonies. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Steeplebush

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Care

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Spiraea