Shrubs 185 



crimson, spicy. Foliage bright yellow in fall. Peaty and sandy 

 soils. Propagate by greenwood cuttings under glass or by seeds. 

 See also STRAWBERRY SHRUB. 



SPIRE A (Various species of Spirtea). White or pink. May, June; 

 4 to 6 feet. The most generally popular flowering shrubs of light, 

 graceful habit for early summer, as lawn specimens, hedges, or in 



shrubbery. , BRIDAL WREATH (S. Thunbergii). Perhaps the 



most popular lawn shrub; profusion of small white flowers, feathery 

 effect; May; finely cut bright green foliage all summer, turning 

 to shades of red and yellow in fall; wood slender; makes excellent 



hedge. , VAN HOUTTE'S (S. Van Houttei). June; 6 feet. 



The most showy of the spireas; flowers in umbels two inches across. 

 Handsome foliage all summer. Plant in conspicuous place with 

 ample room. Cut out flowering wood in summer. Thrives any- 

 where. , ANTHONY WATERER (S. Bumalda, var. Anthony 



Water er). July; 3 feet. The only shrub of its period. Flowers 

 magenta-red produced successively for six weeks. Used for edging. 

 Prune off old flower head as soon as withered if second crop is 



wanted. , PLUM-LEAVED (S. prunifolid). Slender branches, 



slightly hairy. Flowers in small umbels. Pure white, I J inch across. 

 May; 6 feet. The double form (var. flore plena) with little 

 white buttons, particularly showy and most commonly grown. 



Foliage not shining. Bright orange in fall. (S. argutd). 



White. May; 6 feet. The most free flowering and showiest 

 of the early kinds. A hybrid from Thunberg's and quite hardy. 

 The other parent (. multi-fiord) blooms a little later, but 



otherwise similar. , STEEPLE BUSH (S. tomentosa). Flowers 



in dense narrow panicles. Pink. July, September; 4 feet. Does 

 not sucker like others of this section. Specially valuable late bloom- 

 ing shrub. , MEADOWSWEET (S. alba). Similar, but with 



white flowers, somewhat looser. June, August. See also GOAT'S 

 BEARD, in PERENNIALS, p. 222. 

 IPIREA, BLUE. See BLUE SPIREA. 



>TAGGER BUSH (Pieris Mariana). Nodding flowers, in clusters, on 

 leafless branches of the previous year. Pinkish white. April, May; 

 2 to 4 feet. Moderately moist, well-drained porous soil, in partial 

 shade. Avoid limestone and heavy clay. Plant with rhododendrons. 

 Propagate by layers or cuttings in heat. 



