Plant of the Week
Our plant of the week is definitely not one that many folks are familiar with, but more and more are learning all about it! Its Sorbaria sorbifolia (say that one 10 times straight!) or commonly known as ‘False Spirea’ or just ‘Sorbaria’. Here is an erect, somewhat stiff multi-stemmed shrub (suckers freely) with beautiful alternate pinnately compound dark green leaves (mountain ash like), growing 5-10 feet high and wide, making a nice mass planting, clump planting, bank cover, etc, staying full of foliage from top to the ground. In June and July, the new growth is topped with large plumes of creamy white flowers very similar in appearance to those of astilbe. Grows in sun or light shade, prefers moist well drained loamy soils, has little to no insect or disease problems, and requires very little maintenance (maybe deadheading). Just give it plenty of room to sucker out and grow. There is a more compact selection named ‘Sem’ which has bronze new growth, changing to green, still has the plume flowers, but stays more in the 3-4 foot range. Can be grown in containers as well!
