Spiraea splendens

Spiraea splendens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Spiraea
Species:	S. splendens
Binomial name
	Spiraea splendens; Baumann ex K. Koch
Synonyms
	Spiraea arbuscula Greene; Spiraea betulifolia var. rosea A. Gray; Spiraea densiflora Nutt. ex Greenm. nom illeg.;

Spiraea splendens is a shrub of the rose family (Rosaceae) native to the western mountains of North America, from California to British Columbia, commonly known as dense-flowered spiraea,^{[citation needed]} rose meadowsweet,^[4] rosy spiraea,^{[citation needed]} subalpine spiraea,^[4] and mountain spiraea.^[5]^[6] It is commonly found at elevations between 2,000 feet (610 m) and 11,000 feet (3,400 m) on inland mountain ranges.^[5] The plant is adapted to cold, moist, rocky slopes, subalpine forests and meadows.^[5]

It is a woody shrub rarely reaching a meter in height. It has light green toothed leaves which turn yellow as cold weather approaches. The plant bears fragrant, fuzzy pom-poms of bright rosy pink flowers in the summer. The fruit is a tiny dry pod, no more than one eighth of an inch in length.

Native Americans made a tea-like drink from the leaves.^[7]

References

^ USDA Plants Profile for S. splendens var. splendens
^ USDA Plants Profile for S. splendens var. rosea
^ The International Plant Names Index
^ ^a ^b Klinkenberg, Brian., ed. (2014). "Spiraea splendens". E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sullivan, Steven. K. (2013). "Spiraea splendens". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
^ Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, Karen Wiese, 2nd ed, 2013, p 89
^ Reiner, Ralph E. (1969). Introducing the Flowering Beauty of Glacier National Park and the Majestic High Rockies. Glacier Park, Inc. p. 78.