Spiraea japonica
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64403fe5385d6779205804 |
| Scientific name | Spiraea japonica |
| Authority | L.f. |
| First published in | Suppl. Pl. : 262 (1782) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Spiraea japonica (L.f.) is used as a medicinal and household tea in a handful of East Asian and Himalayan traditions. Among the Mapuche of southern Chile, Bennett et al. (2021) report the leaves as a fever‑relief infusion. In Yunnan and Sichuan, Li (1994) records a cold water “tea” or leaf decoction for colds and digestive complaints. Across Japan’s Hachijō and Amami Islands, Japanese ethnobotanical records and agricultural surveys note leaf infusions for throat and stomach comfort (and, historically, a postpartum beverage; Ito, 2010), and in northern Vietnam’s Hmong communities, the leaves and young stems are decocted for sore throats, coughs, and fevers (Nguyen, 2008). In all three regions—southern Chile, Yunnan/Sichuan, and northern Vietnam—the preparations are single‑herb infusions or decoctions of leaves and young shoots.
One practical recipe used traditionally is a mild leaf tea: place 8–10 fresh or 4–6 dried leaves in a cup of just‑boiled water, cover, and steep 5–8 minutes before straining. Filter two cups per day as needed. Because Spiraea contains salicylates that can irritate the stomach, take with food and avoid if allergic to aspirin, if you are taking anticoagulants or other salicylate medicines, or during pregnancy unless advised by a clinician. Do not use strong infusions in children. Modern tea blends for “mountain tea” are often mixtures that may include this species; avoid products with large quantities if you are salicylate‑sensitive.
These preparations are biologically plausible. Studies of S. japonica consistently report salicylates (salicin and related glycosides), flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol, and catechins; together these are anti‑inflammatory, antipyretic, and mildly analgesic, aligning with the traditional uses for fever, sore throat, and minor aches (Kim et al., 2016). Contemporary interest is evident in the number of industrial salicylate teas marketed as “mountain tea,” as well as renewed field documentation of the practice among remote communities in northern Vietnam and China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Spiraea japonica is cultivated primarily as an ornamental shrub for gardens, parks, and urban landscaping. Nursery‑grown plants are sold under numerous cultivars selected for flower colour, habit, and leaf form. The species is also harvested for cut‑flower arrangements; its dense panicles of pink or white blossoms retain colour when dried and are used in floral design.
Industrial and craft applications:
No industrial or craft applications are recorded for this taxon.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
No edible parts or food products are documented for Spiraea japonica.
Colorants and tanning:
There is no reliable record of the species being used as a source of dyes, pigments, or tanning agents.
Wood and fiber:
The plant does not produce timber of commercial size and is not reported as a fiber source.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
While the flowers emit a light fragrance, no commercial fragrance or cosmetic products are documented that utilize extracts of Spiraea japonica.
Properties relevant to use:
Spiraea japonica is a deciduous shrub reaching 0.6–2 m in height with opposite, serrate leaves and terminal panicles of five‑petaled flowers. It tolerates pruning, making it suitable for hedgerows and formal shaping. The shrub thrives in well‑drained soils, tolerates moderate drought, and is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Its compact growth habit and extended flowering period (mid‑summer) contribute to ornamental value, and the flowers attract pollinators, providing ecological benefits in garden settings.
Standards and regulation:
Commercial horticulture of Spiraea japonica follows general plant‑health regulations (e.g., national nursery certification and phytosanitary export/import rules) but no species‑specific standards are documented.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Spiraea japonica is widely propagated by nurseries using soft‑wood cuttings or seed, and it is not listed as threatened or endangered. The plant is cultivated rather than harvested from wild populations, reducing pressure on natural habitats. Its adaptability to a range of soil pH, tolerance to pruning, and resistance to common pests enable low‑input cultivation practices. The use of the species in ornamental plantings supports urban biodiversity through pollinator visitation.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Spiraea japonica f. fortunei | (Planch.) Kitam. | ; 1952 157 1952 |
| Spiraea japonica var. angulata | (Fritsch ex C.K.Schneid.) Kitam. | ; 1952 158 1952 |
| Spiraea japonica var. parvifolia | (Koidz.) Kitam. | ; 1952 158 1952 |
| Spiraea japonica var. mayebarai | Kitam. | ; 1952 158 1952 |
| Spiraea pumila | hort. ex Zabel | Strauch. Spiräen : 65 (1893) |
| Spiraea japonica f. pubescens | (Regel) Kitam. | ; 1952 157 1952 |
| Spiraea japonica var. pubescens | (Regel) Koidz. | ; 1929 400 1929 |
| Spiraea callosa var. pubescens | Regel | Index seminum quae hortus botanicus imperialis petropolitanus ; 1835 27 1870 |
| Spiraea bullata | Maxim. | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 6: 204 (1879) |
| Spiraea japonica subsp. glabra | (Regel) Koidz. | ; 1929 402 1929 |
| Spiraea japonica var. fortunei | Koidz. | ; 1929 402 1929 |
| Spiraea japonica var. ovatifolia | Koidz. | ; 1929 402 1929 |
| Spiraea japonica var. typica | C.K.Schneid. | Illustriertes Handbuch der Laubholzkunde ; 1904 475 1905 |
| Spiraea albiflora | (Miq.) Zabel | Syst. Verz. Münden Pfl. : 14 (1878) |
| Spiraea leucantha | Lange | Bot. Tidsskr. 13: 30 (1882) |
| Spiraea japonica var. bullata | (Maxim.) Makino | ; 1908 120 1908 |
| Spiraea lemoinei | Zabel | Strauch. Spiräen : 64 (1893) |
| Spiraea belloides | hort. | ex Handl. Trees Kew Pt. i. [Polypet.] (1894) 151. |
| Spiraea koreana var. rosea | Nakai | ; 1914 278 1914 |
| Spiraea japonica var. glabra | (Regel) Koidz. | ; 1909 167 1909 |
| Spiraea fritschiana var. angulata | (Fritsch ex C.K.Schneid.) Rehder | Plantae wilsonianae ; 1911 453 1913 |
| Spiraea callosa | Thunb. | Syst. Veg. ed. 14 : 471 (1784) |
| Spiraea callosa var. glabra | Regel | Index seminum quae hortus botanicus imperialis petropolitanus ; 1835 27 1870 |
| Spiraea callosa var. albiflora | Miq. | Prolus. Fl. Jap. : 221 (1867) |
| Spiraea japonica var. tomentosa | Koidz. | ; 1909 167 1909 |
| Spiraea koreana var. macrogyna | Nakai | ; 1914 278 1914 |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | japanese meadowsweet |
| English | japanese spiraea |
| Spanish | shimotsuke |
| Arabic | سبيريا جابونيكا |
| Azerbaijani | yapon topulqası |
| Belarusian | спірэя японская |
| Bulgarian | японска спирея |
| Czech | tavolník japonský |
| Welsh | erwain japan |
| Danish | japansk spiræa |
| Danish | rosen-spiræa |
| Estonian | jaapani enelas |
| Persian | اسپیره سرخ |
| Finnish | japaninangervo |
| French | spirée du japon |
| Croatian | japanska suručica |
| Upper Sorbian | japanska wjerbička |
| Armenian | ասպիրակ ճապոնական |
| Icelandic | japanskvistur |
| Japanese | 下野 |
| Japanese | シモツケ |
| Dutch | japanse spierstruik |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | japanspirea |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | rosespirea |
| Polish | tawuła japońska |
| Polish | tawuła bumalda |
| Polish | tawuła drobna |
| Russian | Таволга японская |
| Russian | Спирея японская |
| Swedish | praktspirea |
| Swedish | rosenspirea |
| Chinese | 日本綉線菊 |
| Chinese | 蚂蟥梢 |
| Chinese | 火烧尖 |
| Chinese | 日本绣线菊 |
| Chinese | 绣线菊根 |
| Chinese | 绣线菊子 |
| Chinese | 绣线菊叶 |
| Chinese | 绣线菊 |
| Chinese | 粉花绣线菊 |
| Chinese | 白升麻 |
| Chinese | 吹火筒 |
| Chinese | 光叶绣线菊 |
| Chinese | 光叶粉花绣线菊 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Spiraea japonica var. acuminata | Franch. | Pl. David. 2: 35. 1888 (1888) |
| Spiraea japonica var. fortunei | (Planch.) Rehder | Cycl. Amer. Hort. 4: 1703 (1902) |
| Spiraea japonica var. acuta | T.T.Yu | Acta Phytotax. Sin. 8: 215 (1963) |
| Spiraea japonica var. formosana | (Hayata) Masam. | Rep. (Annual) Taihoku Bot. Gard. 2: 123 (1932) |
| Spiraea japonica var. hypoglauca | (Koidz.) Kitam. | Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 14: 158 (1952) |
| Spiraea japonica var. japonica | Unknown | |
| Spiraea japonica var. kweichowensis | (T.T.Yu & L.T.Lu) Businský | Phyton (Horn) 60: 185 (2020) |
| Spiraea japonica var. ripensis | Kitam. | Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 14: 158 (1952) |
| Spiraea japonica var. vulcanica | Businský | Phyton (Horn) 60: 183 (2020) |
Forms (abbr. f.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Spiraea japonica f. albiflora | (Miq.) Geerinck | Taxonomaniac 1: 20 (2001):. |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Sow seeds at 20°C, expecting germination within 3 months without further temperature treatment. |
| Requires Light or Surface Sowing: These seeds need light to germinate and should not be covered with soil or only very lightly. They are often very small and sown directly on the surface of the growing medium. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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China
- China North-central
- China South-central
- China Southeast
- Tibet
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Eastern Asia
- Japan
- Korea
- Taiwan
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Middle Asia
- Uzbekistan
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China
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
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Indo-China
- Myanmar
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Indian Subcontinent
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Central European Russia
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Middle Europe
- Germany
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Southeastern Europe
- Bulgaria
- Romania
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Missouri
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- California
- Utah
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Eastern Canada
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Southern America click to expand
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Western South America
- Bolivia
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Western South America
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001008609 |
| Flora of Alabama | 3219 |
| Cornell Woody Plants | 311 |
| Canadensys | 8979 |
| USDA Plants | SPJA |
| UConn | 465 |
| Tropicos | 27801441 |
| INPN | 124646 |
| Flora of Italy | 1887 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:742319-1 |
| The Plant List | rjp-462 |
| Plantarium | 36492 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 286473 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 785024 |
| Observations.org | 129696 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 309823 |
| NBN Atlas | NHMSYS0000463915 |
| Nature Serve | 2.142504 |
| IPNI | 742319-1 |
| iNaturalist | 125790 |
| GBIF | 3026403 |
| Freebase | /m/03cv77f |
| EPPO | SPVJA |
| EOL | 627220 |
| USDA GRIN | 35295 |
| Wikipedia | Spiraea_japonica |
| CMAUP | NPO6485 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
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| Habitat Degradation Facilitates the Invasion of Neophytes: A Resurvey Study Based on Permanent Vegetation Plots in Oak Forests in Slovenia (Europe) | Kermavnar J, Kutnar L | Plants (Basel) | 27-Mar-2024 |
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| Analyses of phytochemical compounds in the flowers and leaves of Spiraea japonica var. fortunei using UV-VIS, FTIR, and LC-MS techniques | Yılmazer Keskin S, Avcı A, Fajriana Febda Kurnia H | Heliyon | 01-Feb-2024 |
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| Plastid genome and its phylogenetic implications of Asiatic Spiraea (Rosaceae) | Zhang SY, Yan HF, Wei L, Liu TJ, Chen L, Hao G, Wu X, Zhang QL | BMC Plant Biol | 03-Jan-2024 |
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| Parallel evolution, atavism, and extensive introgression explain the radiation of Epimedium sect. Diphyllon (Berberidaceae) in southern East Asia | Zhang C, Meng R, Meng Y, Guo BL, Liu QR, Nie ZL | Front Plant Sci | 17-Oct-2023 |
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| The most polyphagous insect herbivore? Host plant associations of the Meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) | Thompson V, Harkin C, Stewart AJ | PLoS One | 04-Oct-2023 |
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| Finding activity through rigidity: syntheses of natural products containing tricyclic bridgehead carbon centers | Xu Z, Li X, Rose JA, Herzon SB | Nat Prod Rep | 16-Aug-2023 |
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| Diversity and traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used by Shui people in Southwest China | Liu S, Zhang B, Lei Q, Zhou J, Ali M, Long C | J Ethnobiol Ethnomed | 30-May-2023 |
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| Pharmacological Progress of Mitophagy Regulation | Sehgal SA, Wu H, Sajid M, Sohail S, Ahsan M, Parveen G, Riaz M, Khan MS, Iqbal MN, Malik A | Curr Neuropharmacol | 12-Apr-2023 |
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| Characterization and phylogenetic analyses of ten complete plastomes of Spiraea species | Zhang SD, Yan K, Ling LZ | BMC Genomics | 21-Mar-2023 |
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| High-throughput discovery of plastid genes causing albino phenotypes in ornamental chimeric plants | Park HS, Jeon JH, Cho W, Lee Y, Park JY, Kim J, Park YS, Koo HJ, Kang JH, Lee TJ, Kim SH, Kim JB, Kwon HY, Kim SH, Paek NC, Jang G, Suh JY, Yang TJ | Hortic Res | 03-Nov-2022 |
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| A Small Natural Molecule S3 Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells and Promotes Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy against Excitotoxicity | Zhuang D, Zhang R, Liu H, Dai Y | Molecules | 04-Aug-2022 |
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| Fungal Planet description sheets: 1383–1435 | Crous PW, Boers J, Holdom D, Osieck ER, Steinrucken TV, Tan YP, Vitelli JS, Shivas RG, Barrett M, Boxshall AG, Broadbridge J, Larsson E, Lebel T, Pinruan U, Sommai S, Alvarado P, Bonito G, Decock CA, De la Peña-Lastra S, Delgado G, Houbraken J, Maciá-Vicente JG, Raja HA, Rigueiro-Rodríguez A, Rodríguez A, Wingfield MJ, Adams SJ, Akulov A, AL-Hidmi T, Antonín V, Arauzo S, Arenas F, Armada F, Aylward J, Bellanger JM, Berraf-Tebbal A, Bidaud A, Boccardo F, Cabero J, Calledda F, Corriol G, Crane JL, Dearnaley JD, Dima B, Dovana F, Eichmeier A, Esteve-Raventós F, Fine M, Ganzert L, García D, Torres-Garcia D, Gené J, Gutiérrez A, Iglesias P, Istel Ł, Jangsantear P, Jansen GM, Jeppson M, Karun NC, Karich A, Khamsuntorn P, Kokkonen K, Kolařík M, Kubátová A, Labuda R, Lagashetti AC, Lifshitz N, Linde C, Loizides M, Luangsa-ard JJ, Lueangjaroenkit P, Mahadevakumar S, Mahamedi AE, Malloch DW, Marincowitz S, Mateos A, Moreau PA, Miller AN, Molia A, Morte A, Navarro-Ródenas A, Nebesářová J, Nigrone E, Nuthan BR, Oberlies NH, Pepori AL, Rämä T, Rapley D, Reschke K, Robicheau BM, Roets F, Roux J, Saavedra M, Sakolrak B, Santini A, Ševčíková H, Singh PN, Singh SK, Somrithipol S, Spetik M, Sridhar KR, Starink-Willemse M, Taylor VA, van Iperen AL, Vauras J, Walker AK, Wingfield BD, Yarden O, Cooke AW, Manners AG, Pegg KG, Groenewald JZ | Persoonia | 12-Jul-2022 |
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| Medicinal Plants Used Traditionally for Skin Related Problems in the South Balkan and East Mediterranean Region—A Review | Tsioutsiou EE, Amountzias V, Vontzalidou A, Dina E, Stevanović ZD, Cheilari A, Aligiannis N | Front Pharmacol | 05-Jul-2022 |
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| Real-Time Feeding Behavior Monitoring by Electrical Penetration Graph Rapidly Reveals Host Plant Susceptibility to Crapemyrtle Bark Scale (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) | Wu B, Chun E, Xie R, Knox GW, Gu M, Qin H | Insects | 25-May-2022 |
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| Geohistorical dataset of ten plant species introduced into Occitania (France) | Claudel M, Lerigoleur E, Brun C, Guillerme S | Biodivers Data J | 28-Mar-2022 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |