How to Care for Peppermint Stick Spirea
Peppermint stick spirea is the common name for Spiraea japonica "Shirobana", a type of Japanese spirea. Peppermint stick grows to 5 feet tall with a 4-foot spread, making it ideal for hedging or as a foundation planting. The plant takes its name from the colors of the flowers it produces in the summer -- both white and pink flowers. Peppermint stick does best when grown within zones 4 through 8 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zone Map. It's easy to grow in a full-sun location. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Fertilizer
- Mulch
- Pruning shears
- Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil spray
Instructions
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Water once a week to keep the soil slightly moist at all times. Although peppermint stick spirea is drought-tolerant, it blooms more profusely when consistently watered.
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Fertilize the shrub in early spring with an azalea/rhododendron fertilizer. Use the rate listed on the label for the size and age of your spirea.
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Top-dress the soil around the spirea with 2 to 4 inches of mulch. Spread the mulch out to the plant's drip-line and keep it at least 6 inches from the base of the plant.
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Cut off dead flowers in early winter.
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Prune the peppermint stick spirea in early spring. Cut out dead stems and cut it to the shape you desire. To rejuvenate an old or overgrown spirea, cut it back to within 6 inches of the soil.
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Check the spirea periodically for aphids. Use a strong blast of water from the hose to knock them off the plant. Treat large infestations with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil spray, used according to label instructions.
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References
- The Conard-Pyle Company: Shibori Spirea
- Penn State University; On Gardening; Spirea is for All Seasons; Robert Nuss; January 1997
- Maryland Cooperative Extension; Spirea Production and Consumer Care; Thomas M. Blessington, et al.
- "Landscape Management: Planting and Maintenance of Trees, Shrubs and Turfgrass"; James R. Feucht and Jack D. Butler; 1988
