Spiraea douglasii – hardhack
Common Name
hardhack
Alternate Common Names
- pink spirea,
- rose spirea
Family
Rosaceae
Scientific Name
Spiraea douglasii
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
- Medium (M)
- Wet (W)
Soil Nutrient Regime (SNR)
- Poor (P)
- Medium (M)
Video link
Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual © 1973. Reprinted with permission of the University of Washington Press.
Photo Gallery
General / Habitat
- A tall, thicket-forming shrub
- Occurs in streambanks, swamps and damp meadows
- Low to middle elevations.
Key Identifying Characteristics
- Form: Erect and much-branched, up to 2 m tall, with reddish-brown young growth and wooly stems
- Leaves: Alternate, deciduous, toothed above the middle, pale and grey-wooly on underside
- Flowers: Pink, tiny, numerous, borne in cone-shaped terminal cluster that is much longer than it is wide
- Fruit: Cluster of pod-like follicles, persistent after leaves have fallen
Lookalikes
- Other common spiraea in our region are either subalpine (Spiraea densiflora) or have white flowers and teeth to the base of the leaf margin (Spiraea stevenii)
- If non-reproductive, Spiraea can be easily confused with Saskatoon berry (Amalanchier alnifolia). However, Amalanchier alnifolia has rounder, darker leaves with more even venation and lack wool on the undersides.
External References
Sources
Douglas, G.W. et al (Editors). 1998-2002. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Volumes 1 to 8. B.C. Min. Environ., Lands and Parks, and B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Pojar, J. and A. MacKinnon. 2014. Plants of Coastal British Columbia Including Washington, Oregon & Alaska. B.C. Ministry of Forestry and Lone Pine Publishing. Vancouver, B.C.