Plant of the Week

Spirea Ogon Mellow Yellow Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon'

What a wonderful shrub that no one uses! 

Featuring lovely, yellow to chartruese, willow-like foliage, this will brighten up your landscape and please you all season long. 

Those of you who were enchanted by the delicate foliage of the "dwarf" artic blue willow, which, as it turns out, are anything but dwarf,  will be even more pleased by this exciting, yet soft and pleasing shrub.  And unlike the willows which paid no attention to the growers tags and got HUGE - this will remain a moderate 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 ft tall in your landscape. 

Unlike the other spireas that have gold-tinged foliage in the spring -Goldmound and Goldflame, the flowers are white, not a sickly pink that clashes horribly with the foliage.  Goldflame is a pretty spirea, but when it's in bloom it looks like someone made a horrible mistake, no?

Mellow Yellow needs nearly full sun for best performance and color, and looks great with larger-leaved and purple leafed shrubs, wonderful with an understory of shorter daylilies.  Try it in a mixed shrub planting with Barberry, Chokeberry, or Annabelle Hydrangea.

Place it in a spot where the evening sun will backlight it and prepare to be wowed every day!

Like all spireas, it should be cut back every Spring to minimize some of the twiggy growth. Cut this one back very early, as it's one of the earliest to bloom. 

Click on "Plant of the Week" at the top of the page for a link to more information.