Goldflame spirea

Sun

Full sun gives the strongest leaf colour and flowering; tolerates partial shade, with greener foliage and fewer flowers.

Water

Water regularly during establishment. Once established, water during prolonged dry spells; avoid permanently wet soil.

Soil

Average, well-drained soil, including clay that drains adequately; tolerates acidic to mildly alkaline conditions.

Height

3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m)

Spread

3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m)

Flowers

Small pink flowers in flat-topped clusters in late spring and summer; light repeat flowering may follow deadheading.

Foliage

Small, toothed leaves emerge bronze-orange, mature through yellow to yellow-green, and may turn orange or copper in autumn. Colour is strongest in good light.

Growth

Moderate to fast.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.1 ft (0.64 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.5 ft (0.78 m)

4. After 3 years

   3 ft (0.91 m)

5. After 5 years

   3 ft (1.1 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Invasive in

the US

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply when the root zone begins to dry during the first growing season.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Apply compost in spring; use fertiliser only if growth is weak or soil is poor.
• Remove shoots that remain plain green while surrounding growth shows normal gold colouring, cutting them back to their origin.
• Remove spent flower heads before seed develops where self-seeding is a concern.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove dead wood and shorten the remaining stems by about one-third; an overgrown plant can be cut back to 6-12 in (15-30 cm) above ground. Lightly trim faded flower clusters after the main bloom to encourage fresh growth and possible repeat flowering.

Late winter

Remove dead or damaged stems and prune before new leaves open.

Spring

Plant while conditions are cool and the soil is workable; water thoroughly and mulch.

Late spring

Check new growth for aphids and remove any persistent plain-green reverting shoots.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry weather and trim off fading flower clusters before seed forms.

Autumn

Check nearby beds for seedlings and pull them while small.

Late autumn

Replenish mulch if needed, keeping the crown and stem bases uncovered.

• Plant as a low informal hedge along a sunny path, allowing room for its rounded spread.
• Repeat through a mixed border to carry yellow foliage colour between flowering seasons.
• Pair with purple-flowered catmint or salvias for a strong contrast with the gold leaves.
• Use in front of taller, dark-green shrubs to make the changing foliage stand out.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Traditional, English country, Low-maintenance, Small-space and Autumn colour.

Plant it with: Catmint, Perennial salvia, Purple coneflower, Cranesbill geranium, Stonecrop and Dwarf fountain grass.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen and nectar for visiting insects. Its value to insects does not outweigh the ecological risks where Japanese spirea is invasive; use a locally native alternative in those regions.

• Aphids can cluster on soft new shoots; dislodge them with water and avoid unnecessary insecticides that kill their predators.
• Powdery mildew can coat leaves in crowded or poorly ventilated sites; thin congested growth and keep plants adequately watered.
• Root rot and dieback can develop in waterlogged soil; improve drainage or move the shrub rather than watering more.
• Plain-green reverting shoots can overwhelm the coloured growth; remove each shoot at its point of origin.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as a serious poisoning hazard, but it is not an edible plant and eating substantial amounts may cause stomach upset.

Where it spreads. Japanese spirea spreads by seed and is listed as invasive in parts of the eastern and midwestern United States, including Tennessee, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Goldflame should not be assumed sterile or exempt from that risk; avoid planting where the species is listed locally, especially near woodland, streams or other natural areas.

• Goldmound spirea (Spiraea japonica 'Goldmound')

  Usually has clearer yellow spring foliage with less of Goldflame's pronounced bronze-orange flush; both have pink summer flowers.

• Magic Carpet spirea (Spiraea japonica 'Walbuma')

  Usually forms a lower, more compact mound, with red-tinted young growth over yellow foliage. Young or recently pruned plants can be difficult to distinguish without a label.

• Birchleaf spirea (Spiraea betulifolia)

  Has broader, birch-like leaves and white rather than pink flower clusters; ordinary forms have green summer foliage.

Japonica means 'of Japan', while 'Goldflame' refers to the gold foliage and flame-coloured young leaves.

Propagation. Root softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer, or hardwood cuttings during dormancy. Seedlings do not reliably retain Goldflame's foliage colour; do not propagate or distribute it where Japanese spirea is invasive.

Accepted botanical name

Spiraea japonica

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan and Tibet.

Measured

Average height 138 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.