Spiraea splendens
Rose meadowsweet
(c) Alison Northup, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Spiraea splendens (Rose meadowsweet) is a native California shrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by key differences are size, hairiness, leaf shape, and elevation range.
Rose meadowsweet is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, and Sierra Nevada in moist, rocky areas including serpentine and conifer forest at elevations of 550 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces rose-colored flowers small and delicate in clusters. Growing 20 to 90 centimeters tall with upright, glabrous to sparsely fine-hairy stems, it forms a compact, bushy structure. Its leaves are generally ovate, 1 to 7 centimeters long with petioles less than 3 millimeters, creating a clean, elegant foliage profile. In rocky mountain habitats, this meadowsweet forms graceful clusters that blend beautifully into alpine and subalpine landscapes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; key differences are size, hairiness, leaf shape, and elevation range
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist, rocky areas including serpentine, conifer forest
Elevation: 550-3400 m
California counties: Tulare, Mono, Tuolumne, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Del Norte, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Shasta, Trinity, Alpine, Butte, Fresno, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Amador, Lassen, Calaveras, San Bernardino
Outside California: to British Columbia, Nevada
Bloom period
Spiraea splendens blooms Jun-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Lagerstroemia: Spiraea has tiny simple flowers in clusters; crape myrtle has large crinkled individual flowers with clawed petals.; vs Ageratina: Spiraea has pink 5-petaled flowers; snakeroot has white brush-like composite flower heads.; vs Rosa: Spiraea has tiny flowers in dense clusters splitting into dry pods; roses have large individual flowers with fleshy hips.; vs Hylotelephium: Spiraea has woody stems and toothed leaves; stonecrop has succulent leaves and stems.; vs Salix: Spiraea has pink flower clusters with petals; willows have petal-less catkins.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spiraea splendens native to California?
Yes. Spiraea splendens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Spiraea splendens bloom?
Spiraea splendens blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Spiraea splendens grow?
Spiraea splendens occurs in Tulare, Mono, Tuolumne, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Del Norte, Siskiyou and other counties, at elevations of 550-3400 m.
What plant family does Spiraea splendens belong to?
Spiraea splendens is in the Rosaceae family, genus Spiraea.
What habitat does Spiraea splendens grow in?
Spiraea splendens grows in Moist, rocky areas including serpentine, conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.