Anthony Waterer Spirea

Spiraea x bumalda ‘Anthony Waterer’

If your landscape looks plain and needs more color, take a look at the Anthony Waterer Spirea (Spiraea x bumalda ‘Anthony Waterer’). With an intense reddish-purple color, the early spring foliage stands out. As it matures, the leaves transform into a bluish-green hue. Its pink flowers provide a striking contrast against the dark foliage. When you need some bold color for your space, make sure to select the Anthony Waterer Spirea.

Anthony Waterer Spirea Attributes

The nectar of this spirea is a favorite snack for local butterflies. When you plant it in your landscape, there will be plenty of these creatures looking for a treat. The Anthony Waterer spirea blooms throughout the spring and fall. During the spring, you will notice new foliage growth as it emerges with a dark reddish-purple hue. The foliage turns into a blue-green tone for the summer. In some areas, the plants will develop a burgundy color for the fall.

The blooms of this spirea begin with a rich reddish color. As the growing season progresses, those blooms mellow out into more pinkish tones. If you want the flowers to develop quickly, it is best to cut away those old blooms. This plant has a dense, upright, and mounded form. The Anthony Waterer spirea is ever-changing as it evolves throughout the year.

Details

FEATURES

Watering Needs: Water regularly to maintain evenly moist soil – weekly, or more often.
Botanical Pronunciation: spy-REE-a x bew-MAL-da
Plant type: Shrub
Deciduous/evergreen: Deciduous
Growth rate: Moderate
Average landscape size: Moderate growing; reaches 3 to 5 ft. tall and wide.
Special features: Dramatic Foliage Color, Dwarf Plant, Easy Care, Tolerates Urban Pollution
Foliage color: Green
Blooms: Summer
Flower color: Pink
Flower attributes: Flowers for Cutting, Showy Flowers
Garden style: Cottage
Design Ideas:An excellent choice for the sunny mixed border where this shrub will fit in well and show off red-purple new foliage and summer pink blooms. It also makes a fine low-growing informal hedge to plant along a drive, walkway or in a narrow planting strip.
Companion Plants:Maiden Grass (Miscanthus); Weigela (Weigela); Coneflower (Echinacea); Rose (Rosa); Salvia (Salvia)

Uses for Your Anthony Waterer Spirea

These low-maintenance shrubs make an excellent border for those mixed beds or foundation plantings. If you want to spruce up bare spaces in your landscape, then this is the plant for you. You cannot go wrong with the colorful Anthony Waterer spirea for those spots requiring a centralized focal point. This plant can hide leggy shrubs with its pop of colorful flowers and foliage.

If you want season-long filler, choose this variety for your outdoor spaces. You can even use them as a low hedge to help section off parts of your garden. However, you will want to plant them two feet apart on the center for a more robust barrier.

As a mass planting, these spireas brighten up those dull spaces. You will want to plant in a zig-zagging pattern for a bold landscape. Since the Anthony Waterer produces flowers in early spring, they are essential for those yards that need pollination. If you have an edible garden or orchard, these are exceptional plants to help control pests or increase pollinators in the area.

The plant’s dense form works well in compact spaces. You should think about growing them as a thriller on a patio, deck, porch, or balcony. The blooms are considered the centerpiece of this hardy shrub. Make sure to remove some of the flowers to add to your indoor flower arrangements.

Anthony Waterer Spirea Care

If you are looking for the best color for your plants, you will want to plant this shrub in full sun. This shrub requires a space that gets four to six hours of direct sunlight per day. However, these plants can thrive in partial shade. For those northern gardeners, the Anthony Waterer needs a location with plenty of sun. In those warmer areas, some shade will benefit this plant.

The Anthony Waterer spirea is very hardy, and it can grow in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8. In addition to that, it adapts to a variety of soil types. You should make sure that the soils are well-draining as standing water can damage the plant.

These plants will need a moderate amount of water on a weekly basis. If you want to mulch, a layer of three to four inches will help prevent surface evaporation and cool down those roots.

Pruning is needed to maintain its shape, and you should think about cutting the plant in the late winter or early spring. By cutting your plants to half, the blooms will become more uniformed in the spring. Any deadheading helps those new blooms develop. After the spring bloom, a lighter prune can produce more flowers up until the fall season.

Choose the Anthony Waterer Spirea Today!

Spiraea x bumalda 'Anthony Waterer'

The Carol Mackie daphne will produce fragrant pale pink blossoms in the spring. These shrubs are easy to grow in many different soils. They make an ideal plant for foundation plantings, beds, and borders. When you need an evergreen shrub for your landscape, make the Carol Mackie your top choice.

At Arbor Valley Nursery, we have a large selection of shrubs, plants, and trees, such as the Carol Mackie daphne. If you would like to learn more about this variety, please fill out the contact form.