Flower profile
Shinyleaf meadowsweet
Spiraea lucida
Shinyleaf meadowsweet (Spiraea lucida) is a shrub in the Rosaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.
Shinyleaf meadowsweet is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Montana it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Montana
Quick look
Spiraea lucida, the shiny-leaf meadowsweet, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to western Canada as far as Saskatchewan, and the northwestern United States as far as the Dakotas. In the past, due to its leaf morphology varying greatly because of the plants' tendency to die back to the ground in winter, it was considered a variety of Spiraea betulifolia, the white or birch-leaf meadowsweet.
- It belongs to the Rosaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 8 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Montana. NatureServe
- In Montana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 818 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #47 among the 128 flowers on our Montana list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Montana, most flowering sightings come in June–August.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- T5 See NatureServe for what T5 means. NatureServe
- Montana
- No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Montana.
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records shinyleaf meadowsweet in 8 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming.
Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Carbon, Chouteau, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Granite, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Powell, Ravalli, Rosebud, Sanders, Stillwater, Teton.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 93 counties across 6 states; the most are in Montana (26), Washington (21), Idaho (19).
Other Spiraea on Bloomipedia (6): White meadowsweet, Steeplebush, Rose spirea, Mountain spirea, Bridal veil spirea, Bridal wreath spirea.
More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Mock strawberry, Black cherry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry.
More Montana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SPLU5.
- iNaturalist, Spiraea lucida: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Spiraea lucida (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Spiraea lucida (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Erik Schiff via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.