Spiraea japonica Double Play Red

Spiraea japonica 'Double Play Red' is a recent variety of Japanese spiraea, a small round and compact bush, multicoloured and with ever-changing foliage, plus a crimson red flowering of the darkest red ever observed in this type of spiraea. Its young shoots, tinged with purple when they open, turn orange in spring, become bluish green in summer under large clusters of deep red corymbs, and then turn golden yellow in autumn. Undemanding, this adorable little bush will earn a place in all gardens. Its compact and rounded habit makes it suitable for borders or low beds, as well as for growing in pots or containers. It will adapt to all climates and soils but dislikes hot or overly arid conditions.

The Japanese spiraea 'Double Play Red' belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is a cultivar derived from Spiraea japonica, which is native to China and Japan. The growth of this plant is fast and its adult size will not exceed 60 cm (24in) in all directions. Forming a small bush with a rounded and compact habit, this variety has particularly colourful foliage with changing hues, consisting of small oblong and toothed leaves. The flowers appear in June-July, grouped in terminal corymbs of a large size (10 cm (4in)) considering the scale of the plant, in a deep red that is truly red and not pink. This prolonged flowering, often recurring in September, attracts many pollinating insects.

With its bushy habit, the 'Double Play Red' spiraea, very hardy, upright, and compact, is ideal for low hedges, to form the framework of a perennial bed, or in large borders. Combine Japanese spiraea with white, pink, or mauve roses, for example, as well as with small shrubby potentillas. It will be perfect as ground cover in shrub beds alongside pathways, or even in rock gardens. You can place it in the front row of a rustic hedge, accompanied by other dwarf spireas (Spiraea betulifolia), dwarf red osier (Salix purpurea nana), the dwarf Manchurian lilac 'Miss Kim', or even dwarf weigela (Nana purpurea). It will grow very well in pots or containers on your terraces and balconies, in not too arid conditions.