This species is native to China and Japan. It blooms best in full sun, and the bloom is heaviest in cool climates, where the small, white flowers can cover the entire shrub. In warm climates, the bloom is less intense, but lasts for a longer time.

Spiraea is a long-lived little shrub with a very fine texture in the landscape. It forms a beautiful mound of gracefully arching stems, in late winter or early spring, covered with tiny, snow- white flowers. In the summer, the pale, almost yellowish green foliage contrasts nicely with that of darker green shrubs.

Spiraea, like many of the flowers that decorate the Conservatory Gardens, works best complimenting the colorful blooms around it. It is that rare type of flower that never draws a great deal of attention to itself, but instead works best in a supporting role. In this manner, it is one of the most instructive examples of the horticulturalist’s craft: the ability to paint a picture with flowering plants, the ideal being that the visitor only sees the portrait, not the brushstrokes.