Spiraea japonica var. japonica f. albiflora("Shirobanashimotsuke")
Japanese name: シロバナシモツケ（白花下野） Scientific name:Spiraea japonica var. japonica f. albiflora
[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 0.5–1.5 m tall, found at sunny forest edges, in wetlands and in grasslands in the mountains.
The young branches are reddish brown.
Leaves are simple and alternate, elliptic to broadly ovate, 3–9 cm long and 0.8–4 cm wide, with serrated margins.
Compound corymbs at the tips of the current year's branches bear many white 5-petaled flowers 3–6 mm across.
The flowers have 23–30 stamens that project far out.
The fruit is a follicle.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained soil rich in humus.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes severely dry.
For potted plants, place slow-release fertilizer on the soil in spring; for plants in the ground, none is particularly needed.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew and scale insects.
