Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame' Bare Root
Spiraea 'Goldflame' is a spectacular foliage shrub that offers a constantly changing display of colour throughout the growing season. New growth emerges in brilliant shades of orange, red, and bronze in spring, maturing to golden-yellow in summer, before being topped with clusters of rosy-pink flowers. This compact, deciduous shrub provides far more interest than most summer-flowering plants, combining vibrant foliage with attractive blooms and exceptional ease of care. This bare root specimen is perfect for creating year-long colour in small gardens, containers, or mixed borders.
Key Features
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Multi-coloured foliage – leaves change from bronze-orange to golden-yellow through the season
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Spectacular spring display – new growth emerges in fiery orange-red tones
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Summer flowers – rosy-pink flower clusters from June to August
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Compact size – ideal for small gardens and containers
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Year-long interest – foliage provides colour from spring to autumn
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Award-winning – RHS Award of Garden Merit for outstanding performance
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Easy to grow – tough, adaptable, and low-maintenance
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Pollinator-friendly – flowers attract butterflies and bees
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Versatile – works in contemporary and traditional gardens
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Hardy and reliable – performs consistently in UK conditions
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Bare root format – economical and environmentally friendly, available November to March
Growing Conditions
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Soil type: Tolerates most soils including chalk and clay; prefers well-drained, moderately fertile soil
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Position: Full sun (essential for best foliage colour)
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Hardiness: Fully hardy (RHS H6)
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Aspect: Any, but full sun produces the most vibrant colours
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Moisture: Moist but well-drained
Size & Growth
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Mature height: 0.6-0.8 metres
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Mature spread: 0.6-0.8 metres
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Growth rate: Moderate (15-20cm per year)
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Time to maturity: 2-3 years to full size
Planting Your Bare Root Spiraea 'Goldflame'
When to plant: November through March, whilst the shrub is dormant and the ground isn't frozen
Planting tips:
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Soak roots in water for 2-4 hours before planting
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Dig a hole twice the width of the root system
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Plant at the same depth as the soil mark on the stem
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Space 60-80cm apart for low hedging or mass planting
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Backfill with native soil mixed with well-rotted compost
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Water thoroughly after planting
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Apply a mulch around the base to retain moisture
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Perfect for containers – use pots at least 30-40cm diameter
Care & Maintenance
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Water during dry spells in the first growing season
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Feed with a general-purpose fertiliser in early spring for more vibrant foliage
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Pruning: Cut back hard in late winter or early spring (February-March) to 15-20cm from the ground
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Hard pruning produces the most colourful new growth and compact habit
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Deadhead spent flowers to maintain neat appearance and encourage foliage (optional)
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Remove any all-green shoots immediately – these are reversions
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Generally pest and disease-free
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Very low maintenance once established
Seasonal Interest
Spring (April-May): Stunning new foliage emerges in brilliant shades of orange, flame-red, and bronze – the most spectacular display of the year
Late Spring: Foliage transitions through copper and gold tones
Summer (June-August): Leaves mature to golden-yellow; flat-topped clusters of rosy-pink flowers appear, creating a beautiful colour combination with the golden foliage
Late Summer: Flowers fade; foliage maintains its golden colour
Autumn: Leaves may develop orange and red tints before falling
Winter: Deciduous; bare reddish-brown stems
Wildlife Benefits
Spiraea 'Goldflame' supports garden wildlife:
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Flowers provide nectar for butterflies, particularly small tortoiseshells and peacocks
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Supports bees and other beneficial pollinators
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Dense twiggy growth offers shelter for small creatures
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Summer flowering coincides with peak butterfly activity
Ideal For
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Small gardens and compact spaces
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Front-of-border planting for foliage impact
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Low informal hedging or edging
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Contemporary and modern gardens
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Container planting on patios and terraces
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Foliage contrast in mixed borders
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Year-round colour schemes
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Low-maintenance gardens
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Foundation planting
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Creating vibrant focal points
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Japanese-inspired gardens
Design Ideas
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Foliage tapestry: Combine with purple-leaved heucheras and silver artemisia for a kaleidoscope of colour
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Contemporary style: Mass plant for blocks of colour in modern minimalist gardens
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Hot borders: Use with orange crocosmias, red dahlias, and yellow rudbeckias
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Colour echo: Plant with other golden-leaved plants like Choisya 'Sundance' for harmonious schemes
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Container trio: Group with contrasting foliage plants in large pots
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Low hedge: Create a colourful, informal edging that needs no formal clipping
Companion Plants
Create stunning combinations with:
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Purple-leaved heucheras for dramatic contrast
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Blue catmint (Nepeta) for complementary summer flowers
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Silver-leaved stachys for textural interest
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Purple salvias to echo the pink flowers
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Orange and yellow perennials (coreopsis, helenium) for vibrant schemes
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Dark-leaved dahlias for sophisticated contrasts
Things to Consider
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Full sun essential – foliage will be predominantly green in shade with little colour
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Requires annual hard pruning for the best foliage display
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May produce all-green shoots (reversions) – remove these promptly as they're more vigorous
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Deciduous – provides no winter interest
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Flowers are secondary to the foliage show
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Compact size means it can be swamped by vigorous neighbours
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Foliage colours are most intense on young growth
Foliage Colour Through the Seasons
April-May: Flame-orange, red, bronze (most vibrant) Late May-June: Copper, gold, yellow-orange July-September: Golden-yellow, lime-yellow October: Orange-bronze tints return
The exact colours and timing vary with weather, soil, and sunlight – no two years are quite the same!
Pruning for Best Effect
When to prune: Late winter or early spring (February-March), before new growth begins
How to prune:
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Cut all stems back hard to 15-20cm from the ground
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This produces vigorous new shoots with the most brilliant spring colour
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Don't be tentative – hard pruning gives the best results
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Can also be lightly trimmed after flowering (August) to tidy
Result: Fresh new growth will emerge in spectacular orange-red tones in spring
Container Growing
'Goldflame' excels in containers:
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Choose pots at least 30-40cm diameter
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Use good quality multi-purpose compost
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Water regularly during the growing season
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Feed monthly April-August with liquid fertiliser
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Repot every 2-3 years or top-dress annually
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Prune hard in spring as normal
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Perfect for patio colour all season
Why Choose 'Goldflame'?
This superior cultivar offers exceptional value:
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Non-stop colour – foliage interest from April to October
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Constantly changing – never looks the same two months running
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Compact perfection – ideal for modern, smaller gardens
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Easy drama – achieves impact with minimal effort
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RHS Award of Garden Merit – proven garden excellence
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Versatile style – works in contemporary or traditional settings
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Beginner-friendly – responds well to any pruning
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Small but mighty – huge impact from a tiny plant
Comparison with 'Anthony Waterer'
Both are excellent Spiraea japonica cultivars:
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'Goldflame': Grown primarily for foliage; golden leaves; rosy-pink flowers
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'Anthony Waterer': Grown for flowers; green leaves (bronze new growth); deep crimson-pink flowers
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'Goldflame' is shorter and more compact (60-80cm vs 80-100cm)
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Both equally easy to grow and maintain
Managing Reversions
All golden-leaved plants can produce green shoots:
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These appear as all-green stems among the coloured foliage
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Remove immediately at the base – they grow faster and will take over
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Check regularly during the growing season
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Prompt removal maintains the golden effect
Why Choose Bare Root?
Bare root shrubs are lifted from the field during dormancy and supplied without soil around the roots. This traditional method offers several advantages:
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More economical than container-grown plants
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Better root development and establishment
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Lower carbon footprint (no plastic pots or compost)
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Available during the optimal planting season
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Establishes quickly once planted
Quick Reference
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Best feature: Multi-coloured foliage through the seasons
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Best position: Full sun (essential)
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Best time to see it: April-May for spring colour; June-August for flowers
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Pruning time: Late winter/early spring (February-March)
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Skill level required: Beginner-friendly
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Maintenance level: Low
Experience a symphony of colour with Spiraea 'Goldflame' – a compact foliage shrub that transitions from fiery orange through golden-yellow to autumn bronze, topped with rosy-pink summer flowers, all from one easy-care plant that's perfect for small gardens and containers.
Bare Root is usually dispatched between early November and late March. Exact dates vary year to year depending on the weather. We cannot guarantee availability for a certain date at the beginning or end of the season.
Important Bare Root Care
As soon as you receive your bare root plants place the items upright in a bucket of clean water immediately leaving them for at least 2 hours. Only take plants out as you need them for planting.
Q: When is bare root season?
A: Our bare root season usually runs from November to March but it can depend on the weather conditions, we'd always recommend buying at the end of autumn rather than waiting for spring.
Q: Does the plant size include the roots?
A: No, all bare root plant sizes quoted exclude the roots.
Q: What size plants will I receive?
A: Stock size varies through the season, our 'Plant Size' are give as a guide and you will receive plants somewhere in that range. We are unable to specify exactly how tall the plants will be within that range.
Q: How old will the plants be?
A: Most of our 'Plant Sizes' include the age of the plant, this is shown as a sum e.g. 1+2 which in this case would indicate that the plants are 3 years old. The first number is how long the plant has spent in the seedbed and the second is the number of year it has spent lined out in the field. Where the sum starts with a 0+ this indicates that the plants were grown from a rooted cutting.
Q: Can I get a discount for bulk purchases?
A: We offer a discount banding on bare root plants making them cheaper the more you buy, see the table on each page for details of the price within each band.
Q: Do I need canes?
A: Bamboo canes are perfect for giving young saplings, hedging plants, climbers and other tall shrubs the support they need when they start to establish. Unless you are planting in a completely sheltered spot with very little chance of wind then we would always recommend using a cane for support.
Q: Do I need rabbit guards?
A: Spiral Rabbit Guards are the most popular, low cost tree protection for young saplings, seedlings, transplants and hedging plants from browsing animals such as voles, mice, rabbits and hares. Spiral Rabbit Guards have the ability to grow and expand with the growing tree, providing a sheltered environment for the tree. It's hard to say for certain if you will require the extra protection a rabbit guard provides, if your are aware of a particular pest problem in your planting location then we would recommend using them. Rabbit Guards are not suitable for 'evergreens' please see 'Shrub Shelters' for a suitable evergreen protection method.
Q: What is a shrub/tree shelter?
A: Shrub/Tree Shelters are similar to rabbit guards but are designed for use on evergreens that would sweat and die in rabbit guards. We supply shrub/tree shelters as a kit which includes the shelter, 1 Stake and 2 cable ties, one kit is required per plant.
Q: Do I need shrub/tree shelters?
A: If you are aware of any specific pest problems in your planting area then we would recommend using a shrub/tree shelter to give your young trees or hedging plants that extra protection.
Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.
Planting and Conditions
Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.
Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.
One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.
Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.
Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.
Aftercare and Pruning
Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.
Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.
Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.
All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.
Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.
To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.
Potential Issues
Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.
This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.
To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same.
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