Species PlantsSteeplebush

Steeplebush

Spiraea tomentosa

UncommonPlant
Illustration of Steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa)

Steeplebush is a native shrub named for its steeple-like, pointed spikes of fuzzy pink to rose-purple flowers that bloom in midsummer. Growing 2–5 feet tall in wet, acidic habitats across the northeastern United States, it produces abundant flowers over a long season. The undersides of the leaves are densely covered with rusty-yellow hairs. Steeplebush often grows in boggy meadows and old peat bogs alongside other acid-loving plants.

Habitat
Found in bogs, wet meadows, moist roadsides, and acidic wetland margins in the northeastern United States.
Diet
Flowers attract many native bees and butterflies; provides nesting cover for ground-nesting birds.
How common
Uncommon

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