Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Rosales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Spiraea tomentosa
FAMILY
Rosaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Hardhack at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Spiraea tomentosa
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Spiraea tomentosa
INCLUDING Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 9 (2014)
Spiraea tomentosa var. rosea
INCLUDING Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 9 (2014)
Spiraea tomentosa var. tomentosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 097-15-002:
Spiraea tomentosa FAMILY Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Spiraea tomentosa
COMMON NAME:
Hardhack, Steeplebush, Rosy Meadowsweet
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_spto2_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm210807_2472
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Leaf undersides light brownish-woolly with conspicuous veins, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
)
JK Marlow jkm210807_2591
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm210807_2593
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
A sparsely branched, low shrub, about 3' tall, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
)
JK Marlow jkm210807_2595
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm210807_2595b
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Flowers 0.12-0.25" across, with reflexed sepals, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
)
JK Marlow jkm210807_2595c
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm210807_2596
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
The steeple-shaped inflorescence gives the plant its name, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
)
Ron Lance rwl_spiraeatomentosab
August Jackson County NC
High Hampton Inn
)
Ron Lance rwl_spiraeatomentosab3
August Jackson County NC
High Hampton Inn
Leaves 1-2" long, toothed, elliptic, tapering at both ends, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
)
Ron Lance rwl_spiraeatomentosab4
August Jackson County NC
High Hampton Inn
)
JK Marlow jkm211027_4649
October Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Spiraea tomentosa
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Spiraea tomentosa
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Spiraea tomentosa
INCLUDING
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 9
Spiraea tomentosa var. rosea
INCLUDING
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 9
Spiraea tomentosa var. tomentosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 097-15-002:
Spiraea tomentosa
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Spiraea tomentosa
1455
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: bogs, wet meadows, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in NC Mountains & NC Coastal Plain, uncommon in SC Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Pink
(rarely white)
Radially symmetrical
5 united sepals
5 petals
15-20 stamens
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Aggregate of 5 follicles
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p260
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p121
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p117
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p127
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p071
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p310
- Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Georgia (Chafin, 2007) p375
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p115
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p123
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p157
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p33
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p337
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