Double Play Doozie Spirea

Double Play Doozie Spirea (Spiraea x 'NCSX2')

Double Play Doozie Spirea is a compact, mounded shrub that keeps color coming when many spireas are finished for the year. It starts with rich red new growth in spring, settles into a clean green mound for summer, and stays lively with bright red-pink flowers that keep appearing into fall. The size is easy to fit into borders and foundation plantings, and the overall look stays tidy without constant attention. Plant it in sun with decent drainage, and it delivers reliable performance and long-season bloom with simple care.

Distinctive Features

This spirea is valued for its extended flowering window, producing repeated clusters of vivid red-pink to reddish purple-pink blooms from late spring through fall. New foliage emerges with deep red to bronze tones, then matures to green for a crisp, finished look that complements a wide range of planting palettes. The habit is naturally dense and rounded, forming a uniform mound that reads clean in both formal and casual designs. It is also noted for producing little to no viable seed in many garden settings, keeping energy focused on growth and flowering.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun to part sun for best flowering and compact growth.
• Soil: Average, well-drained soil is ideal, and it adapts to many garden soils when drainage is reasonable.
• Water: Medium moisture to establish, then moderate watering with occasional deep watering during extended dry periods.
• USDA Zones: Hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 8.
• Mature Size: Typically 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.
• Habit: Dense, mounded, and naturally rounded.
• Notable Traits: Often shows good deer resistance and attracts pollinators during bloom.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use as a low focal point where the long-season red-pink bloom can anchor the front of a sunny bed.
• Edging: Line walkways and bed fronts for a tidy, flowering border that stays compact.
• Mass Planting: Plant in drifts to create a consistent ribbon of color from late spring into fall.
• Foundation Planting: Place along foundations where a dense mound adds structure without blocking windows.
• Low Hedge: Use in a row to create a clean, low hedge with seasonal flower color.

Low Maintenance Care

• Pruning: Give a light trim after the first bloom flush to refresh foliage color and encourage continued flowering.
• Renewal: Every couple of years, remove a few of the oldest stems at the base to keep growth vigorous and full.
• Watering: Water consistently during the first growing season, then water during prolonged drought to reduce stress.
• Fertilizing: Feed lightly in spring only if needed, because excess fertility can reduce flowering and loosen habit.
• Mulching: Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce weeds, keeping mulch pulled back from the stems.

Why Choose Double Play Doozie Spirea?

• Long Bloom Season: Repeated clusters of red-pink flowers keep color going from late spring into fall.
• Compact Form: Dense, rounded growth fits borders, foundations, and small-space landscapes.
• Colorful New Growth: Red to bronze spring foliage adds an early-season color hit before peak bloom.
• Easy Upkeep: A simple post-bloom trim keeps it tidy and helps maintain steady flowering.
• Landscape-Friendly Performance: Adaptable and dependable in sun with reasonable drainage once established.

Double Play Doozie Spirea is a practical way to extend flowering color in a compact footprint while keeping the overall planting looking neat. Pair it with ornamental grasses, coneflowers, or darker evergreens to make the blooms stand out. With sun, drainage, and a quick seasonal trim, it stays dense, colorful, and reliable year after year.