Sorbaria tomentosa subsp. angustifolia Stick & Feathers

The Sorbaria tomentosa var angustifolia 'Stick & Feathers' is a variety of tomentose sorbaria or Kashmir false spirea with narrow leaves selected for its fabulous autumn colours. Smaller in size than the wild species with a broad and flexible growth habit, this bush with fern-like leaves also offers a summer flowering in large white and frothy panicles while being lightweight. From its Himalayan ancestor, 'Stick & Feathers' has retained its ease of cultivation. Less prone to suckering, this variety is better suited to our gardens. It would be ideal for the centre of a perennial bed or at the front of a shrub bed, growing in clay and slightly chalky soils.

The tomentose sorbaria 'Stick & Feathers' is a horticultural variety derived from the Sorbaria tomentosa var. angustifolia, a deciduous bush from the Rosaceae family. It is native to the mountains of Afghanistan and Kashmir. The cultivar 'Stick & Feathers' suckers less and has a more moderate growth and remarkable autumn colours. The relatively rapid-growth bush will reach a height of about 2.50 m (8ft). It produces a few suckers from its base, allowing it to spread. The whole will form a thicket about 2 m (7ft) wide. This false spirea has a graceful habit, both spreading and bushy. The primary asset of this bush is its foliage, for two reasons: its pinnate, finely cut nature, but also and above all, the flamboyant palette of colours it adorns itself with in autumn. The frost-resistant young shoots, up to -3°C (26.6°F), emerge in March, more or less tinged with red. The foliage is light to medium green in summer. Flowering occurs in June-July in opulent pyramidal panicles of small creamy white flowers with a soft and fluffy appearance. The foliage is absent in winter.

The Stick & Feathers false spirea is a charming bush, comfortable in any good garden soil. It will find its place among large shrubs and robust, tall perennials. It pairs fabulously with a purple barberry. Ideal in small gardens, breaking the monotony of more classic foliage. To accompany it, choose a deciduous ceanothus with blue or pink summer flowers, a butterfly bush or small lilacs. Its autumn colours will blend well with those of the compact winged euonymus or smoke trees.