spirea

noun spi·rea \ spī-ˈrē-ə \

variants: or spiraea

|Updated on: 3 Jun 2018

Definition of spirea

1 : any of a genus (Spiraea) of deciduous shrubs of the rose family with small usually white or pink flowers in dense racemes, corymbs, cymes, or panicles

2 : any of several garden plants resembling spireas; especially : a shrub (Astilbe japonica) of the saxifrage family

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Recent Examples of spirea from the Web

Steve Stash of Dove Creek Nursery restored the garden to its original style as dictated by landscaper John Grant, who created experiences through a series of terraces with plantings of sedum, geranium, hosta, foxglove, heather and spirea.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "See four private estates during the Dunthorpe Garden Tour (photos)," 9 May 2018
Wright and others adopted pieces, from erecting pavilion-like structures to planting goldflame Japanese spirea.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "Japanese gardens can calm you, kids, prisoners: Lessons on Zen-style 'Visionary Landscapes'," 8 Feb. 2018
That disease may attack any member of the rose family, including hawthorns, mountain ash and spirea as well as apples, pears and of course roses.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Thinking of becoming a gardener? Here’s a primer for southern Idaho," 31 Jan. 2018
Like Little Princess spirea, this popular plant was given a misleading name.

— bonnie blodgett, Twin Cities, "Blundering Gardener: If the rain didn’t get your plants, the aphids just might," 27 May 2017
Reaching 5-12 feet, the growth habit of ninebark is a loose mound similar to a large spirea and does well incorporated into a shrub border or natural planting.

— ellen nibali, baltimoresun.com, "Garden Q&A: Emerald ash borer," 4 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spirea.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.