Japanese spirea 'Little Princess'

Questions about Japanese spirea 'Little Princess'

Does Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' need sun or shade?

Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid June to late July. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' be planted?

3 ft (90 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3½ ft (100 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 2½ ft (70 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' plants do I need?

At 3 ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 4 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as one, planted singly: it is the bed's structure, and everything else is arranged around it.

Is Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

What can I plant instead of Japanese spirea 'Little Princess'?

Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' is listed as invasive in parts of North America, so the planner never uses it. These do the most similar job, and are native:

• Shrubby cinquefoil: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 8 in taller, flowers early June to mid September.
• Sweetspire 'Little Henry': the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, flowers early June to early July.
• Summersweet 'Hummingbird': the same job in a bed; 8 in taller, flowers mid July to mid August.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Japanese spirea 'Little Princess'?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

Will Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Japanese spirea self-seeds and is listed as invasive in parts of eastern North America. Check local guidance and shear off the spent flowers before they set seed.

It is listed as invasive in parts of North America, and the planner never chooses it.

What flowers after Japanese spirea 'Little Princess'?

Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' is over by late July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush': from mid July to early October, 24 in tall.
• Garden phlox: from mid July to early September, 3½ ft tall.

What does Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' look like in winter?

Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.

Is Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' good for bees and butterflies?

Japanese spirea 'Little Princess' is visited by butterflies.