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
Spiraea tomentosa var. rosea
INCLUDING Flora of North America
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
Spiraea tomentosa var. rosea
INCLUDING
Flora of North America
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.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Pink
(rarely white)
Bisexual
Radially symmetrical
5 united sepals
5 petals
15-20 stamens
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 (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p121
- 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