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Woody > Spiraea > Spiraea betulifolia > Spiraea betulifolia 'Tor Gold'

Spiraea betulifolia

'Tor Gold'


Glow Girl Spirea




Origin:  Introduced by Proven Winners.
            Mike's Opinion

this is Mike

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The Spiraea betulifolia is a compact deciduous shrub that would accent a wide rage of planting schemes. This shrub attracts wildlife such as butterflies and is complemented by its hardiness in cold climates and overall stable plant health- making it uniquely valuable. Glow girl, however is not native to Canada and is a much more compact cultivar variety from the original. This shrub works best when massing but its hardiness allows for a wide range planting options. Its yearly interest is one of the selling points for this plant, sprouting bright yellow foliage in spring and is then complemented by showy clusters of white flowers in mid summer holding that until late summer. Autumn brings stunning a array of foliage from colours of orange, to red and even purple.



Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)

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Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Spiraea
Species
betulifolia
Cultivar
'Tor Gold'
Category
Woody
Type
Shrub (deciduous)
Registered Name
Glow Girl®
Patent Number
USPPAF, Can PBRAF
USDA Hardiness Zone
3
Canadian Hardiness Zone
1
RHS Hardiness Zone
H7
Temperature (°C)
-40 - (-35)
Temperature (°F)
-40 - (-30)
Height
60 cm
Spread
60 cm
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
MayJune
General Description
Spiraea betulifolia is a medium sized, dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that has light green-yellow foliage with pure white flowers.
Landscape
Wonderful accent plant or used in mass planting, shrub borders and rock gardens.
Cultivation
Grow preferably in moist, well drained soils. Tolerates partial shade. Remove faded flower clusters to encourage additional bloom. It is highly tolerant of urban runoff pollution and could succeed and flourish in even city environments.
Growth
Medium
ID Characteristic
This shrub features rounded oval shaped leaves with bright yellow-green foliage. Flower buds with hints of red will flower into flattened clusters of 5-petaled white flowers.
Pests
This shrub is generally pest and disease free. However rare, it can be susceptible to pests and diseases like root rot, leaf spot, leaf roller and scale. Deer resistant.
Habitat
Horticultural origin.
Bark/Stem Description
Smooth red-brown and is not particularly showy. New growth will appear with a slightly deeper red tint but the change is not notable.
Flower/Leaf Bud Description
Small buds will appear at the end of branches, brown-red in colour with no scales present and blooms in mid summer.
Leaf Description
Has a pinnately simple toothed leaf arrangement with ovate to elliptical shape. Mature growth foliage measures from 3-4 cm in length. Blooms in spring. Retains its bright yellow foliage into the summer months, turning an amazing array of orange, red, and purple.
Flower Description
Dense showy perfect clusters of pure white flowers, emerging in mid June. 5-pettaled and a corymbs flower arrangement, very fragrant to pollinators and butterflies. There is no peduncle, the stamen is longer in relation to the length of petals and the anther is a yellow-white.
Colour Description
The foliage of this shrub emerges into a stunning yellow colour in spring and stays yellow until flowers mature and start to fade in mid-summer. At which point the leaves begin to change into a green-yellow, leading into autumn which alters the foliage to an eye catching array of orange, red and even purple.
Texture Description
This is a Medium textured plant. It is unique from other smaller shrubs with its less defined foliage.
Propagation
The main method of propagation is softwood cuttings. Subsequently, seeding, layering, and division are alternate methods. Softwood cutting in early summer. Pruning should be done in late winter/early spring once the threat of intense cold temperatures passes. Propagation by seed- collect in autumn, sow the seed in autumn and at a preferred temperature of 20°C.
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