When choosing plants to decorate a garden, designers pay attention not only to the appearance, but also to the conditions for their cultivation, preferring unpretentious crops to care for. This is exactly what Billard’s spirea is, which appeared as a result of crossing the Douglas spirea and willow leaf.
The plant is a tall shrub with straight, spreading branches, growing up to 2,5 m in height. The branches are covered with dense broad-lanceolate foliage up to 10 cm long, along the edges of which there are small notches. Above they are dull green, and below with a bluish tint. By autumn, the leaves acquire a reddish-brown color.
Spirea Billard blooms from the second half of summer to late autumn
This variety belongs to the summer-flowering spirea. Flowering begins in the second half of summer and continues until frost.
Despite the fact that the shrub grows better in the sun, it has good frost resistance. Billard’s spirea is grown throughout Russia – from the White Sea to the foothills of the Caucasus
The top of each shoot is crowned with a pyramidal inflorescence up to 20 cm long, consisting of many tiny flowers of bright pink color. Despite the lush flowering, the fruits, like all hybrids, are not tied, so the shrub is used only for decorative purposes.
Planting can be done in the spring before the growing season or in the fall after the leaves have fallen off. The best place to plant shrubs is an open, sunny area. But if this is not available, then the shadow will not interfere with the cultivation of spirea. The plant prefers fertile soil – on depleted soil, the shrub will grow, but not so luxuriantly. The earth can be improved with a composition that includes:
- turf;
- sand;
- peat.
All components are mixed in a 2: 1: 1 ratio. Instead of turf, you can use leafy soil.
Before planting, it is necessary to carefully examine the seedlings and remove too long shoots and stems that are damaged. In the store, seedlings are sold in containers. A few hours before planting, they should be watered abundantly.
The planting hole is dug so that its volume is 25% larger than the root system of the plant. The seedling is carefully removed from the container along with a lump of earth and, straightening the roots, set in the hole. The root collar should be just above the soil surface. The hole is filled with the prepared nutrient mixture and watered abundantly.
The shrub looks great in the garden for both single and group planting of several varieties of spirea, blooming at different times. You can make a hedge from a plant, decorate curbs or mounds.