There are a myriad of different shrubs on the market place and Spiraea, or May Bushes are one of the more versatile. There are 70 species from Central Europe, Asia and North America. They are generally deciduous or semi evergreen and range in height from 0.5m to 2.5m. Spiraea japonica comes from Japan, Korea and China with numerous cultivars, mostly selected for their foliage.
‘Golden Carpet’, as its name implies is a low growing shrub with stunning golden foliage and attractive pink flowers in late spring to mid summer. The plant is semi deciduous with pink green new growth which ages to golden green and then turns fully gold in mid summer. Give the plants a light prune in autumna and regular applications of Seasol and PowerFeed to ensure they maintain their best appearance.
Spiraea are a widely grown and popular bush in the UK where their fall color and spring flowers endear them to the hearts of most gardeners. This colourful cultivar comes from the breeding program of David Tristam. It looks good as a mass planting in a large garden, as a border plant in a formal garden or as a specimen plant in a perennial garden. Grow with Correa ‘Wins Wonder’, Heuchera ‘Black Beauty’ and Kniphofia ‘Cobra’ for a colorful mixture of form and texture.
