hardhack, Spiraea tomentosa

Hardhack, steeplebush or rosy spiraea is a small shrub that grows in sandy acidic places. References limit this to two or three feet tall, but at borders of woods where it has to stretch for light it might be twice that. Adding to the beauty of the flowers are the orange hairs that cover the stems and lower leaf surfaces. The Algonquin, Mohegan, and Ojibwa made tea that they used to treat problems with digestion or pregnancy. This native is in AR, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, NB, NS, ON, PE, and QC. Wayne Co MI, 8/1/14. Rose family, Rosaceae