White Meadowsweet - Spiraea alba

Spiraea alba, or White Meadowsweet, is a perennial shrub native to Michigan and the U.P. It has an upright habit and grows 3 to 5 feet in height, and about 3 feet wide.  It is a natural resident of streams, marshes, and lakeshores, even moist borders of forests and shallow soils over rock that receive periodic flooding (Michigan Flora). Prefers medium to wet soil and full sun, but tolerates part shade, and does very well in standard soil as a landscaping shrub.
 
Cone-shaped clusters of tiny, white flowers bloom in the summer (June to September) and produce both nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Host plant for Azure butterflies and a variety of moths and other insects. According to Illinois Wildflowers, songbirds and ground birds such as Indigo Bunting, Grasshopper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, American Woodcock, Ruffed Grouse, and Wild Turkey use Meadowsweet seeds for food and/or use the shrub as protective cover and nesting.
 
Meadowsweet is a good alternative to the non-native spiraea traditionally used in landscaping, especially since it has such a long bloom time.
 
Grown by us from UP seed. Pesticide-free its whole life.