Birch Leaf Spirea vs Joe-Pye Weed - TreeTime.ca

Birch Leaf Spirea vs Joe-Pye Weed

Spiraea betulifolia

Eutrochium maculatum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Birch Leaf Spirea
Joe-Pye Weed

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.

Joe-Pye Weed is a tall native perennial wildflower known for its clusters of fragrant pink flowers. Blooming from mid-summer to early fall, its long-lasting blooms attract a wide range of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, and other beneficial insects. Adding to its ecological value, Joe-Pye Weed also serves as an important host plant for several species of butterflies and moths, and its seed heads provide food for small birds into the fall and winter.

Joe-Pye Weed is well suited to pollinator gardens, rain gardens, riparian zones and wetland plantings, as well as naturalization and restoration projects. It spreads through underground rhizomes to form small colonies and is generally easy to manage, though it may require additional care and maintenance in smaller urban yards and gardens. It is also resistant to deer, making it a good choice for gardens where deer are a concern.

Birch Leaf Spirea Quick Facts

Joe-Pye Weed Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 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: short
Growth form: upright, clump forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none


Flowers: pink clusters
Bloom time: mid summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: birch leaf meadowsweet, shiny leaf spirea, white spirea
Other Names: joe pye weed, joe pyeweed, queen of the meadow, spotted joe pye, spotted joe pye weed, spotted joe-pye weed, spotted trumpet weed