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WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

13.) SORBARIA to KERRIA

ROSACEAE - Rose family

SORBARIA (Ser. ex DC.) A. Braun

  • Sorbaria sorbifolia (L.) A. Braun (var. sorbifolia) (Sorbaria) 1977 General Extinct A native of North Asia; sometimes grown in gardens. It was recorded on two occasions as a garden escape: south-west of Bristol in 1977 by ? and North of Bristol in 1970s by? [BSBI records].

  • Sorbaria tomentosa (Lindl.) Rehder (var. tomentosa) (Himalayan Sorbaria) General Extinct A native of the West Himalayas; sometimes grown in gardens. It was recorded as a planted relic on Purn Hill, Bleadon in 1997 by ? and again the following year by ?.

PHYSOCARPUS (Cambess.) Raf.

  • Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim. (Ninebark) General Extinct A native of Eastern North America; recorded at Weston-super-Mare? in the 1970s? by ? [BSBI record].

SPIRAEA L.

  • Spiraea salicifolia L. (var. salicifolia) (Bridewort) General Very Rare A native of Central Europe which has occasionally been encountered in hedges and old ruins as a planted relic. Found at Portbury in 1984 and at Bourton Quarry, North Somerset in 1985 by P. Rooney; at Nover's Park, Bristol in 1985 by R.D. Martin; at Cold Ashton, South Gloucestershire in 2004 by ?; and at Paulton in 2020s by ? [BSBI record].

[There are two other BSBI records which might be just within the region - 1930s from Freshford? and 2000s from Lower Shockerwick?]

  • Spiraea salicifolia x S. alba = S. x rosalba Dippel (Intermediate Bridewort) General Extinct Was once recorded East of Bristol in the 1930s by ? [BSBI record].

  • Spiraea salicifolia x S. douglasii = S. x pseudosalicifolia Silverside (Confused Bridewort) General Very Rare Was recorded at Kingston Seymour in 2010s by ? [BSBI record].

  • Spiraea alba x S. douglasii = S. x billardii Hérincq (Billard's Bridewort) General Extinct Was once found on a disused railway line at Winscombe in 1987 by P.R. Green and determined by A. Leslie.

  • Spiraea douglasii Hook. ssp. douglasii (Steeple-bush) General Very Rare A native of western North America which is widely cultivated. It was recorded at Newton St. Loe in 2010s by ? [BSBI record].

  • Spiraea japonica L. f. (var. japonica) (Japanese Spiraea) General Very Rare Several seedlings were recorded self-sown from a nearby garden on a kerbside on St Mary's Close, Timsbury, North Somerset in 2025 by H.J. Crouch and Cam Valley Wildlife Group.

[Record in SRPG Newsletter 2025, p. 55.]

  • Spiraea canescens D. Don (var. canescens) (Himalayan Spiraea) General Very Rare A native of the Himalayas; discovered established on Sand Point in 1993 by P.R. Green and still persists here. It was most likely planted originally.

  • Spiraea cantoniensis x S. trilobata = S. x vanhouttei (Briot) Carrière (Van Houtte's Spiraea) 1983 General Very Rare Discovered as a planted relic on Sand Point in 2008 by S.J. Parker and still persists here.

[There's an earlier BSBI record]

  • Spiraea thunbergii x S. x multiflora (S. crenata × S. hypericifolia) = S. x arguta Zabel (Bridal-spray) General Very Rare Discovered at Siston Common in 1992 by ? and at Sand Point in 2010s by ? [BSBI record].

  • Spiraea cana x S. x hypericifolia = S. x cinerea Zabel (Garland Spiraea) General Very Rare Widely grown in gardens as the cultivar 'Grefsheim'. Several plants were found growing out of a stone wall in front of its garden source on Wickham Hill, Stapleton, Bristol in 2025 by D. Peters.

[There's also a record of Spiraea aggregate - from Tickenham Hill in 2001 (also on BSBI). Is it possible to find out what species it is?]

KERRIA DC.

  • Kerria japonica (L.) DC. (Kerria) / General Scarce Frequently grown in gardens and parks for ornament and hedging (normally with pom pom-like 'flore pleno' flowers), and is occasionally found as a 'throw-out' or persistent relic; mainly around North Bristol.

List:

  • Sorbaria sorbifolia (L.) A. Braun (var. sorbifolia) (Sorbaria) 1977 General
  • Sorbaria tomentosa (Lindl.) Rehder (var. tomentosa) (Himalayan Sorbaria) General
  • Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim. (Ninebark) General
  • Spiraea salicifolia L. (var. salicifolia) (Bridewort) General
  • Spiraea salicifolia x S. alba = S. x rosalba Dippel (Intermediate Bridewort) General
  • Spiraea salicifolia x S. douglasii = S. x pseudosalicifolia Silverside (Confused Bridewort) General
  • Spiraea alba x S. douglasii = S. x billardii Hérincq (Billard's Bridewort) General
  • Spiraea douglasii Hook. ssp. douglasii (Steeple-bush) General
  • Spiraea japonica L. f. (var. japonica - Kew, GBIF) (Japanese Spiraea) General
  • Spiraea canescens D. Don (var. canescens) (Himalayan Spiraea) General
  • Spiraea cantoniensis x S. trilobata = (Stace) S. x vanhouttei (Briot) Carrière (Van Houtte's Spiraea) 1983 General
  • Spiraea thunbergii x S. multiflora = S. x arguta Zabel (Bridal-spray) General
  • Spiraea cana x S. x hypericifolia = S. x cinerea Zabel (Garland Spiraea) General
  • Kerria japonica (L.) DC. (Kerria) / General

Species added:

  • Sorbaria tomentosa (Lindl.) Rehder (var. tomentosa) (Himalayan Sorbaria)
  • Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim. (Ninebark)
  • Spiraea salicifolia x S. alba = S. x rosalba Dippel (Intermediate Bridewort)
  • Spiraea salicifolia x S. douglasii = S. x pseudosalicifolia Silverside (Confused Bridewort)
  • Spiraea douglasii Hook. ssp. douglasii (Steeple-bush)
  • Spiraea japonica L. f. (var. japonica - Kew, GBIF) (Japanese Spiraea)
  • Spiraea canescens D. Don (var. canescens) (Himalayan Spiraea)
  • Spiraea thunbergii x S. multiflora = S. x arguta Zabel (Bridal-spray)

Species added by me:

  • Spiraea cana x S. x hypericifolia = S. x cinerea Zabel (Garland Spiraea)

Spiraea aggregate - recorded on Tickenham Hill in 2001 - find out.