Spirea Anthony Waterer

Spiraea japonica, commonly called Japanese spirea, is a dense, upright, mounded, deciduous shrub that typically grows 4-6’ tall with a slightly larger spread. Leaves (to 3” long) are oval and sharply-toothed. Tiny pink flowers in flat-topped clusters (corymbs) cover the foliage from late spring to mid-summer, with sparse and intermittent repeat bloom sometimes occurring. Flowers are attractive to butterflies.Genus name comes from the Greek word speira meaning wreath in reference to the showy flower clusters seen on most shrubs in the genus.Specific epithet means of Japan, which is part of its native range.‘Anthony Waterer' is a compact cultivar that grows to 2-3' tall and to 3-4' wide. Carmine red flowers in flattened corymbs (to 6" wide) appear in a showy bloom from late spring to mid-summer. New foliage emerges with reddish purple tinting in spring, matures to blue-green by summer and finally turns reddish in fall.