Spiraea japonica Tessa - Japanese Spiraea

Spiraea japonica 'Tessa' is a compact Japanese spirea, forming a dense cushion of 30 cm in all directions. Its deciduous leaves change from reddish-orange during bud burst to golden yellow in autumn. This small, bright shrub offers a multitude of clusters of pink, nectar-rich flowers in early summer. Requiring little maintenance and hardy, it will find its place in all gardens: in borders, at the edge of flower beds or even in a pot on a terrace.

Japanese spirea Tessa is from the Rosaceae family. It is a cultivar derived from Spiraea japonica, a species with pink flowers native to China and Japan. It is a Dutch variety by Herman Geers, who is known for his numerous selections of Japanese spirea, chosen for their compactness, decorative foliage, attractive flowering, and good disease resistance. 'Tessa' is no exception to the rule. This ball-shaped shrub, 30 cm in all directions, displays bright and dense foliage. Its small, deciduous, oblong and toothed leaves start reddish-orange and quickly evolve to golden yellow. The flowers appear on the current year's wood, in June-July, and sometimes again in late summer if faded flowers are regularly removed. They are grouped in terminal corymbs measuring between 3 and 5 cm in diameter. They are light pink and contrast beautifully with the golden foliage. They are nectar-rich and delight butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.

The golden and compact 'Tessa' spirea, will make an impression in any garden. You will easily find a place for it, in a pot, at the edge of a flower bed, or in a border. It will bring light and colour. Plant it at the base of a cluster-flowered bush rose like ‘Astronomia’ or a ‘Asao’ clematis with large pink flowers. For a low flower bed, associate it with another Japanese spirea like ‘Little Flame’, a dwarf ‘Pink Micro Chip’ butterfly bush with bright pink flowers, and a ‘Midnight Wine’ Weigela florida with purple foliage and carmine pink flowers.