'Anthony Waterer' is the old standard cultivar that is still the most commonly used selection. Most nursery catalogs list it under Spiraea x bumalda, which is a hybrid between the Pink Japanese Spirea (S. japonica) x the White Woodland Spirea (S. albiflora). Many botanists have recently combined S. albiflora into the S. japonica species. Therefore, AW can be listed in arboretums and botanic gardens as a S. japonica. This cultivar has larger flattish clusters about 4 to 6 inches across that are often bright pink, though I have ones with dull pink. It gets a really good red-orange fall color. There is a good number of different clones of this cultivar out there with varying degrees of pink flowers and with leaves being more roundish to more pointed. The ones in the Chicago area had duller pink flowers but more roundish leaves, while in southeast Pennsylvania I've seen brighter pink flowers and more narrow leaves like 'Froebel.'

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