White Meadowsweet vs Silky Lupine - TreeTime.ca

White Meadowsweet vs Silky Lupine

Spiraea alba

Lupinus sericeus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

White Meadowsweet
Silky Lupine

White Meadowsweet is a woody, deciduous shrub that begins to bloom in early summer with small white and pink flowers. Its foliage turns from a light green into an attractive golden-yellow later in the fall.

The White Meadowsweet, also known as Mead-Wort or Bride-Wort, is favored by birds and butterflies but is largely ignored by deer. They produce small brown berries in the summer, and while they are technically edible, they are not sweet and are more desired by wildlife.

Silky Lupine is a native perennial wildflower known for its upright spikes of blue to violet flowers. Blooming from late spring into summer, the nectar-rich, showy blossoms attract a variety of pollinators, especially bees and butterflies. The plant’s fine, silky foliage provides soft texture and visual interest, enhancing landscapes throughout the growing season.

Silky Lupine is a nitrogen-fixing plant that enriches soils and supports surrounding vegetation. Its deep roots stabilize soil, and it spreads naturally by ejecting seeds from drying pods. If spread isn’t desired, new seedlings are easy to remove. While it is foraged by some wild animals, it contains alkaloids that are toxic to livestock. Silky Lupine is well-suited to pollinator gardens, naturalization plantings, erosion control, and ecological restoration projects.

White Meadowsweet Quick Facts

Silky Lupine Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - high
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: toxic to sheep and other livestock
Foliage: Silky-haired, palmately compound leaves
Fall colour: golden yellow
Flowers: white, small
Flowers: Blue to violet pea-like flowers
Bloom time: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: mead wort, meadowsweet, narrowleaf meadowsweet, pale bridewort, pipestem