Gardentopia - “MELLOW YELLOW” SPIREA


This is tip #134 from my brand new book, Gardentopia- so happy to share with you.

134. “MELLOW YELLOW” SPIREA


Spirea is considered a common shrub, but ‘Mellow Yellow’ spirea (Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’) challenges that assumption. It is an early blooming, deciduous shrub that grows 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. 


Small, white blossoms appear in profusion in March through April before the leaves emerge, but it is the willowy, twiggy branches and leaves that make it notable. The wispy, fine- textured foliage starts out yellow, softens to a yellow- green in summer, and turns a lovely combination of reds, oranges, and yellows in the fall, making it a late- season star as well.

Gardentopia - Design Basics for Creating beautiful Outdoor Spaces

Hardy to −30° F, it is easily pruned after flowering in spring.
‘Mellow Yellow’ spirea is a versatile, low-maintenance shrub that
brightens up any plant bed. It likes sun, and it can be considered a filler as it fits in harmoniously with many plants. 

It grows fully down to the ground, and it makes a good front-of-border plant.  


Mellow Yellow is equally appealing with evergreens, flowers, or grasses. I have found that it partners beautifully with boxwood, azaleas, holly, or the maroon ‘Diablo’ Ninebark.






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