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Virginia Gardening Garden Restoration garden

Japanese Meadowstreet- Spirea

last year

Hello all, I am new to gardening and we have some japanese meadowstreet (spirea) in our front yard. It was overgrown so I though "why not cut it back" and did - now I am worried I have made an error - as many things I read after the face say not to cut back really till early spring. The plant underneath the green looks horrid - lots of overlapping small twigs that seems dead and/or dormant. Should i just bite the bullet it cut it all the way back or leave it how I have it and wait til early spring? As of now the tops still have green but where i pruned the lower portions back are all just wood (be it dead or alive).

Comments (3)

Kristen Hoberg
Original Author
last year
Also to add - I am in central VA.
Stephanie
last year
last modified: last year
Im in DC (7b) and have several Spirea japonica and always cut them back after they flower so mid summer and again in fall (around now) to about knee height (not too low) and to a round shape so you shouldnt have a problem. next year you can wait till spring and see which results you like better.
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Cutting it back every year could cause the same reaction. Certainly what you describe for the second year could just be the result of the hard pruning. Also seems cutting back hard + too much shade could result in dieing out and poor regrowth. However, if most of the branches have died probably there is something more than just shade involved, unless the spot is really dark. Spellcheck: 'Shirobana'.
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I think you are talking about the little Japanese spirea, which get the pink flowers, stay about 30" tall. If so, you can prune these sharply each spring. I try to cut mine before leaf buds get going to save plant's energy for regrowth. You can still cut them if leaves have started, just remove less stick. I take off about 6 inches, but mine have no leaves when trimmed. If the leaves are bigger than your fingernail, I would only take 3-4 inches off. Take out any dead sticks, thin out the middle area. This lets air move around more easily, preventing problems and dead stick (no leaves) centers in bush. I find my Japanese spireas bloom very well with this program. I also get real good color in the leaves, with bush being quite thick all season. I have the Lime and Gold Mound bushes in two locations for their color. Pruning seems to aid color intensity as well.
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Depending where in zone 7 you are, Abelia will remain evergreen to semi-evergreen in winter. That can be a big plus over spirea. You don't say how large or small your shrubs should be. In my yard Abelia 'Twist of Lime' has better coloration than Kaliedascope. Twist of Lemon might be comparable to 'Twist of Lime'. All colored Abelias need good sun for color. If you don't have deer issues, another really nice low spreading shrub is Euonymus fortunei 'Roemertwo' ('Gold Splash' is the trademark name) -- if you can find it. It can look good even with some shade. Prune to keep dense maybe twice a year.
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Spiraea x bumalda is an incorrect name for Spiraea japonica. I am certain that Spiraea 'Crispa' and Double Play Doozie® are sterile. But I do not believe that Neon Flash or Dart's Red are sterile. I have never seen Spiraea japonica growing or seeding into the wild here in Michigan. But if it is a problem in your area, I would suggest you use these sterile varieties. 'Crispa' is a very dwarf variety with crinkly, dark green leaves. It is a bit of a collectors plant and hard to find. Double Play Doozie® is new variety from NCSU. As a sterile triploid (3x), it is seedless and puts its energy into making new flowers all summer long.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Spiraea is one of those plants an active member here would say can be run over by a truck.....and bounce right back! And that's not far from the truth :-) It can be pruned pretty much any time of the year you want, as often as you want and as hard as you want with NO ill effects, provided the shrub is in good heath to begin with.

I had Magic Carpet spiraea in a former garden that I sheared back multiple times a year because I loved the new foliage color but hated the Pepto Bismol pink flowers. Every time the shrub budded up, I'd cut it back!! All that did was make it grow more vigorously and more densely.

Prune away!! 😁

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