Douglas spiraea (spiraea douglasii, steeplebush) is an erect shrub with many branches, tending to reach two meters tall, and usually forms in thickets. The leaves are alternate and deciduous, oval-shaped and four to ten centimeters long, dark green on the top and pale on the bottom. The margins of the leaf are rounded at the bottom half toward the petiole, with a finely toothed margin at the top half. The flowers can range from pink to deep rose in color. They are tiny and grouped in a lanceolate-shaped terminal cluster, many times longer than wide. It produces clusters of pod-like fruits that stay on the stem even after the leaves have died. It thrives in swamps, damp meadows, and streambanks of the southern Pacific Northwest.
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