Double Play^® Red Spirea Spiraea japonica

A prior homeowner planted 4 of these in my landscaping. They are beautiful and thriving, but they are also non-native invasive plants that will escape into the wild and can crowd out native species. Look them up on the Invasive Plant Atlas website. Spirea japonica is banned in several states. Please, Proven Winners, stop selling non-native invasives!

This is the third year Double Play Red Spirea has been growing in my yard. Like all Proven Winners plant selections, Double Play Red Spirea is a strong growing, attractive plant. New spring foliage is a rich burgundy, becoming green as the year progresses. The plant has large clusters of deep pink, almost red flowers that are on display for weeks. Lightly cutting can produce a smaller continuing bloom. With all of these attractive qualities, it is very disappointing to see how prone to mildew these plants are. Mildew appears after weeks of cold, rainy weather and shows up in warm, dry periods later in summer. I have seen older Spirea varieties growing with minimal care around parking lots and commercial plantings with no evidence of unsightly mildew. I avoid planting fussy things that need spraying and I would not have chosen this Spirea had I known of this continual problem.