Spirea thunbergii / Ogon Spirea

Planted in spring 2010.

I got this from Broken Arrow.  It is 'Ogon', a big billowy plant. It did well at first, but is languishing in too much shade behind the maple in the back garden.

Here it is right after planting:

April 12, 2010, just planted

Here it is in late fall:

November 24, 2010

Spireas can be twiggy messes; this one is best pruned by removing the oldest, unproductive stems at the base each year to make room for new growth.  Don’t try a partial overall cutback, which just makes the twigginess even worse.

March 27, 2012  It's the only thing in bloom out there and it is eye catching

April 30, 2012  New growth is bright

In 2013 it put on some size. The early spring flowers and waving branches are spectacular. It bloomed in April and May, not March like the year before.

May 4, 2013

It seems 'Ogon' spirea is variable for fall color each year, but consistent for spring flowering!

May 6, 2014

In 2015 I finally decided this pretty shrub is in the wrong spot, but it's too big to move. It really gets too much shade under the maple and birch trees, and it is becoming very sparse and open, with long floppy branches and thinning foliage. The intense root competition is probably an issue too.

Its shady location is keeping it small and scanty looking now. This should probably be cut down.

5/3/15