Flower profile

Steeplebush

Spiraea tomentosa

Native in the lower 48

Steeplebush is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

31states

5of our state lists

10,809U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Quick look

Spiraea tomentosa, commonly known as steeplebush, meadowsweet, or hardhack, or eastern hardhack, is a flowering plant native to the eastern United States and Canada.
From Wikipedia's article Spiraea tomentosa, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 31 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. ^NatureServe
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 4 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,561 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #93 among the 110 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,303 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #47 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,071 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #48 among the 109 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist

Steeplebush gift ideas

Handmade steeplebush gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Steeplebush art print
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Steeplebush greeting card
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Steeplebush mug
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Steeplebush earrings
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Steeplebush embroidery pattern
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Steeplebush sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,399 records)

Bloom time in each of our 5 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Massachusetts	Native	July–August	1,561
Maine	Native	July–August	1,303
New Hampshire	Native	July–August	1,071
Vermont	Native	July–August	1,027
Rhode Island	Native	July	201

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S1), AR (S2), GA (S1), MO (S1), MS (SH), SC (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 steeplebush in 31 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan.

More Massachusetts flowers

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in MA: May–August

Multiflora rose

Rosa multiflora

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MA: May–June

Black cherry

Prunus serotina

Native

🌼 Blooms in MA: May–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SPTO2.
iNaturalist, Spiraea tomentosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Spiraea tomentosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Spiraea tomentosa (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Tom Norton via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.