Spiraea nipponica is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to the island of Shikoku, Japan. Growing to 1.2–2.5 m tall and broad, it is a deciduous shrub with clusters of small, bowl-shaped white flowers in midsummer.
Spiraea nipponica, commonly called spirea, is a dense, upright, mounded, deciduous shrub that typically matures to 5-8’ tall with a slightly larger spread. It is native to the island of Shikoku, Japan. Obovate to elliptic leaves (to 1 1/4” long) are dark green above but blue-green beneath with round toothed apices. Foliage turns a minimally attractive yellow in fall. Tiny white five-petalled flowers in rounded hemispherical clusters (corymbs) cover the foliage in late spring to early summer (late May to June). Flowers are attractive to butterflies. Genus name comes from the Greek word speira meaning wreath in reference to the showy flower clusters seen on most shrubs in the genus. Specific epithet refers to this shrub as being a native of Japan.
