Any Spiraea experts?
Van Houtte Spiraea (Spiraea x vanhouttei)
As far as I know Spiraea x vanhouttei doesn't have double flowers and lance-shaped leaves
http://plants.usda.gov/core/pr...
Leaf Description- Small, simple rhombic to obovate, dark blue-green alternate leaves that are 1.5- 3.8 cm long with an acute apex and 3 -5 lobes with irregular teeth.
Flower Description- The showy umbels with numerous individual flowers are 2.5-5 cm in diameter and are borne at the apex of the branches.
Spiraea cantoniensis Lour. ×S. trilobata L. Spiraea ×vanhouttei (Briott) Carr. is frequently planted (though rarely escaped) meadowsweet hybrid known from CT, MA. It is similar to S. chamaedryfolia in that the flowers are borne in peduncled umbels that are produced on short shoots. The hybrid differs from that species in its stamens not exceeding the petals in length (vs. stamens longer than the petals), its erect to spreading sepals (vs. recurved), and glabrous follicles (vs. pubescent). Spiraea ×vanhouttei is further characterized by its leaf blades that are often obscurely 3- to 5-lobed.
From a key
1. Inflorescence a simple umbel; plants flowering early to mid-spring (Mar–Apr)...2. [exotic]
2'. Flowers 6–10 mm in diam...4.
4'. Leaf blades ovate to obovate, 3–5 cm x 2–3 cm, < 2x as long as wide; flowers 7–10 mm in diameter...S. x vanhouttei
I have seen double flowered versions sold as Spiraea prunifolia and Spiraea thunbergii
and we also have
Reeves Spiraea (Spiraea cantoniensis)
any of which may be the more applicable entry for many of the images currently displayed under x vanhouttei
but I really don't know...
