Canada Plum vs Birch Leaf Spirea - TreeTime.ca

Canada Plum vs Birch Leaf Spirea

Spiraea betulifolia

Prunus nigra

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Birch Leaf Spirea
Canada Plum

Birch Leaf Meadowsweet is a small, rounded shrub, reaching 3 to 4 feet high.

In the early summer, white flowers emerge with dark green foliage. Come fall, birch-like leaves turn a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and purple adding seasonal interest.

Native to Japan and Eastern Asia, this dwarf shrub attracts butterflies and is an excellent option for the front row of a shrub border.

Canada Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America with small red fruit. They ripen in mid to late summer, with bitter, astringent skin surrounding sweet, slightly acidic flesh that clings to the stone. While some enjoy eating the plums fresh, they are more commonly used for baking and preserves. It is considered a universal pollinizer for other plum varieties and is often used for grafting or as a rootstock.

White to pink flowers appear in spring, often before the leaves, providing an early source of nectar and pollen for native bees and other pollinators. Birds and other wildlife also feed on the fruit, adding to its ecological value. Canada Plum can grow as a small tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub. It is well suited to a variety of projects, including fruit orchards for cross-pollination, as well as pollinator plantings, naturalization, and restoration projects.

Birch Leaf Spirea Quick Facts

Canada Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 2b
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: high


Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Flowers: white
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Other Names: birch leaf meadowsweet, shiny leaf spirea, white spirea
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum