The Long-Living Alternative To Invasive Japanese Spirea

Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica) is a shrub commonly sold at big box stores and nursery centers – but just because it's easy to buy doesn't mean it's the best choice for your yard. It is considered an invasive species in several of the states in the eastern United States. If you're concerned about its seeds spreading unhindered into the surrounding area, you'll want to plant an alternative instead. One such candidate, eastern leatherwood (Dirca palustris), is native to the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada, and its lifespan can be measured in decades, compared to invasive spirea's short 20-year life.

This low-maintenance and early flowering alternative is also known as ropebark or wicopy, and can grow to be up to 7 feet tall and wide. Its unusual looking flowers are bell-shaped and pale yellow, appearing from spring through early summer. The benefits of growing this native alternative are multiple – you'll attract insects that have long forged relationships with these plants, which in turn will help nourish populations of wild birds.

If you're ready to make the switch from invasive to native, be sure your growing conditions for this alternative check all the boxes. Gardeners in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9 can consider this plant for their yards if part sun to shady conditions are available. Count eastern leatherwood among the plants that will thrive in your garden's acidic soil, as well, and grow it preferably in moist conditions.

Eastern leatherwood can be used alongside other rain garden plants, as this shrub has moderate flooding tolerance. Bringing a lovely splash of rich color in autumn, it can also be grown in a native garden, as a hedge, or next to a pond or stream. If there's a downside to leatherwood, it's that contact with the plant can cause skin irritation, so grow this alternative in a location where you won't frequently brush against it. If your growing conditions aren't quite right to add eastern leatherwood to your garden, there are still other beautiful native plants to grow instead of invasive spirea, such as pink azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides).