Hardhack
Encyclopedia
Spiraea douglasii is a species of flowering plant in the rose family
. Common names include hardhack, hardhack steeplebush, Douglas' spiraea, and rose spiraea. It is native to western North America from Alaska
across southwestern Canada and the Pacific Northwest. It occurs most often in riparian
habitat types, such as swamp
s, streambanks, bog
s and mudflat
s. It grows among sedges
, horsetails, wild blueberries
, and other swamp flora. The plant is a woolly shrub
growing 1 to 2 meters tall from rhizome
s, forming dense riverside thickets. Large clusters of small pink flowers form spires in early summer, later turning dark and persisting. The leaves are toothed toward the tips. The undersides are whitish with prominent veins.
This plant is used as an ornamental
in landscaping
, where it grows best in sunny, moist places.
Rosaceae
Rosaceae are a medium-sized family of flowering plants, including about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla , Sorbus , Crataegus , Cotoneaster , and Rubus...
. Common names include hardhack, hardhack steeplebush, Douglas' spiraea, and rose spiraea. It is native to western North America from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
across southwestern Canada and the Pacific Northwest. It occurs most often in riparian
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
habitat types, such as swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s, streambanks, bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s and mudflat
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
s. It grows among sedges
Juncus
Juncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of some 200 to 300 or more species of grassy plants commonly called rushes...
, horsetails, wild blueberries
Vaccinium
Vaccinium is a genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the plant Family Ericaceae. The fruit of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry or whortleberry, lingonberry or cowberry, and huckleberry...
, and other swamp flora. The plant is a woolly shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing 1 to 2 meters tall from rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s, forming dense riverside thickets. Large clusters of small pink flowers form spires in early summer, later turning dark and persisting. The leaves are toothed toward the tips. The undersides are whitish with prominent veins.
This plant is used as an ornamental
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in landscaping
Landscaping
Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...
, where it grows best in sunny, moist places.