Search / Plant Profile / Spiraea virginiana

Plant Profile

Virginia Spiraea (Spiraea virginiana)

Full shot of this flowering shrub on a river bank. Photo Credit: Copyright Hugh and Carol Nourse

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Threatened
Family: Rosaceae
State: AL, GA, KY, LA, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV
Nature Serve ID: 135631
Lifeform: Shrub
Date Inducted in National Collection: 02/25/1988

Description:

The West Virginia spiraea is an endemic of the southern Appalachians, which occurs exclusively in the southern Blue Ridge and Appalachian Plateau provinces. Within its area, it is found very sporadically. It was first collected by G. R. Vasey in 1878 in the mountains of North Carolina. (Vasey identified it as S. corymbosa Raf.; Britton later annotated those specimens as S. virginiana.) This 2 to 6-ft-tall shrub with arching and upright stems is a prolific sprouter, forming dense clumps. Its leaves are alternate and variable in size, shape, and degree of serration. Cream to greenish-yellow colored flowers occur in branched, flat-topped inflorescences approximately four to eight inches wide.

Where is Virginia Spiraea (Spiraea virginiana) located in the wild?

Habitat:

S. virginiana can be found on banks of rocky streams or moist bottomlands within high gradient sections of second and third order streams (USFWS 1989, 1990, 1992) However, the sites where the plants occur are areas of deposition after high water flows rather than places of maximum erosion.The species has root system and vegetative parts that allow it to thrive under appropriate disturbance regimes.The underground part of the plant is a fine fibrous root mass and heavy lateral rhizomes. These features probably help it survive during floods when larger, heavier arboreal species as well as many vines and herbs are washed away. The belowground portions of S. virginiana left after floods are usually able to regenerate the clone.

Distribution:

S. virginiana is currently known from West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia (USFWS 1990, 1992).

States & Provinces:

Virginia Spiraea can be found in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Which CPC Partners conserve Virginia Spiraea (Spiraea virginiana)?

Holden Forests and Gardens

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Conservation Actions

Tina Stanley

04/16/2024

As of March 2024, Mt. Cuba Center holds Spiraea virginiana in living collection.

10/09/2020

Recently (1986-1991), Douglas Ogle from Highlands Community College, Abingdon, VA has contributed to the study of the species. He examined all of the known sites, took samples and photographs, and shared the obtained population information with the Natural Heritage program within each state. He also forwarded the representative material from each live population to the Arnold Arboretum for propagation/conservation under the auspices of Plant Conservation. Through the study of live and herbarium material, he managed to discriminate between S. virginiana and S. betulifolia var. corymbosa and summarized his observation in the comparison table (see notes below). A. Rehder (1920) described S. virginiana var. serrulata, but in 1949 he reduced the rank to form.

10/09/2020

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Endemic to the southern Appalachians. Although widely occurring in several Appalachian states, the majority of the occurrences are of poor quality and have low viability. Sexual reproduction is rare indicating that genetic variability within and probably between occurrences is low. Little population expansion has been reported, although several occurrences are considered protected (mostly federal and state parks). Restricted to specific riparian habitats and nowhere abundant. Most of the extant populations consist of only a few clumps. Range-wide, fewer than 30 different genotypes are thought to exist. Few mature seeds and no seedlings have been observed. Threatened by alterations in flooding regimes, and clearing or disturbance of streambank vegetation.

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

Overtopping by arboreal species or fast growing herbs or vines may eventually eliminate the species. Competition seems to be the most important variable related to the persistence of S. virginiana and partially explains its occurrence in specific riverin

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

S. virginiana is known from 24 populations from 23 streams in six states (USFWS 1990).

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

Gradually, researchers came to a consensus on how to resolve the large phenotypic variability seen in S. virginiana. Glencoe (1961) was the first one to articulate it. He also included a wider range of localities adding Dade Co. (GA) and Van Buren Co. (TN). As for the locations excluded by Clarkson, he never stated his opinion on those. Recently (1986-1991), Douglas Ogle from Highlands Community College, Abingdon, VA has contributed to the study of the species. He examined all of the known sites, took samples and photographs, and shared the obtained population information with the Natural Heritage program within each state. He also forwarded the representative material from each live population to the Arnold Arboretum for propagation/conservation under the auspices of Plant Conservation. Through the study of live and herbarium material, he managed to discriminate between S. virginiana and S. betulifolia var. corymbosa and summarized his observation in the comparison table (see notes below). A. Rehder (1920) described S. virginiana var. serrulata, but in 1949 he reduced the rank to form.

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

There is no formal management plan.

Irina Kadis

01/01/2010

In its Recovery Plan, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1992) outline conservation needs in the following order: preserve, understand, extend knowledge and monitor populations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will consider delisting when at least three populations are sufficiently protected and stable, when additional population searches have been conducted, when representative genotypes are cultivated in permanent collections.