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Bright pink flowers of Douglas spiraea (Spiraea Douglasii) - native shrub. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plants nursery in Portland, Oregon
Close up image of the foliage of Douglas spiraea (Spiraea Douglasii) - native shrub. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plants nursery in Portland, Oregon
Super close of pink flowers on Douglas spiraea (Spiraea Douglasii) - native shrub. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plants nursery in Portland, Oregon
Bright pink flowers of Douglas spiraea (Spiraea Douglasii) - native shrub. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plants nursery in Portland, Oregon
The growth habit of a Douglas spiraea (Spiraea Douglasii) shrub in the wild. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plants nursery in Portland, Oregon
Brown seed heads of Douglas spiraea (Spiraea Douglasii). Another stunning Pacific Northwest native plant available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants Nursery in Portland, Oregon.
Seed heads of a Douglas spiraea shrub (Spiraea Douglasii) beckon birds in the fall. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plants nursery in Portland, Oregon
A Douglas spiraea shrub (Spiraea Douglasii) in its native habitat, in fall. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plants nursery in Portland, Oregon
A Douglas spiraea shrub (Spiraea Douglasii) in its native habitat, in winter. One of approximately 200 species of Pacific Northwest native plants available at Sparrowhawk Native Plants, native plants nursery in Portland, Oregon

Douglas Spiraea

Spiraea douglasii

Douglas’ spiraea, or hardhack, is a large, effortless shrub that offers both high-fashion and high-function. It works beautifully in habitat hedgerows, foundation plantings and raingardens, where abundant and persistent spires of dusty pink flowers cover the tops of this shrub all summer long, creating a sea of blooms that attract bees and butterflies. By fall, the foliage relaxes into an attractive array of oranges and yellows and the flower clusters turn into seeds that are feasted on by migratory birds.  

  • Plant type/canopy layer: deciduous, large shrub
  • Size at maturity: 2-6' tall, 3-7' wide
  • Light requirements: full sun, part sun/part shade
  • Moisture requirements: moist to wet soil
  • Bloom time: June - September (July - August in the Portland Metro area)
  • Growth rate/ease: fast growing, easy to grow
  • Wildlife support: flowers attract and support adult butterflies, bees and other insect pollinators; seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals; leaves and stems are occasionally browsed by deer, though not their favorite; the overall plant attracts and supports beneficial and other pest eating insects, is a caterpillar host plant and larval food source and provides excellent habitat for birds and other wildlife, especially to water birds such as Marsh Wrens, as well as the raptors that hunt them
  • Native habitat/range: common along streambanks and lake edges, in open areas of wet meadows and wetlands from southeast Alaska to northern California and eastward into Idaho and western Montana. Also found in isolated counties of Colorado, Missouri, and Tennessee. Portland Plant List - yes. 
  • Special features & uses: straight stems can be used for making tools; flowers are excellent in arrangements both fresh and dried; landscape uses include pollinator gardens, raingardens, hedgerows and for erosion control; drought-tolerant

Gardening with Douglas Spiraea: In the wild, you'll find thickets of Douglas spiraea, providing exceptional refugia and foraging habitat, primarily in sunny open areas that are moist to seasonally wet. That said, it is equally gorgeous and significantly less aggressive in soils that are drier. In this way, it is an ideal choice for moist to wet properties where erosion control and quick coverage are your priorities or more dry soils or smaller urban gardens/areas - such as habitat hedgerows and along foundations - where tougher conditions help keep it in check. It also serves excellently as a replacement for butterfly bush. 

Photo Credits 1 & 4 (flowers spires) : Tara Lemezis, Tiny Seed Photography

Photo Credit 2, 8, 9 (foliage, fall look, winter look): © giantcicada, some rights reserved (CC-BY) 

Photo Credit 3 (flowers, super close): © Katie McCoy, some rights reserved (CC-BY)

Photo Credit 5 (habit, in the wild): © Tyler Cannon, some rights reserved (CC-BY) 

Photo Credit 6 (seed heads, close): Karli Del Biondo, Beetles and Bees

Photo Credit 7 (seed heads, distant): © Justin Flint, some rights reserved (CC-BY)

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