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Double Play® spirea packs colorful foliage and pink-to-purple flowers on compact, easy-care shrubs. Choose from gold, burgundy, blue-green, variegated, and color-changing foliage for borders, foundations, mass plantings, and small landscapes.
Double Play® spirea features both colorful foliage and flower clusters on compact, landscape-friendly shrubs. Some selections are prized for dramatic spring foliage, others for unusual bloom color. Double Play Doozie® extends the flower show through summer.
Double Play® spirea stays low enough to fit beneath windows, along walkways, and toward the front of mixed shrub beds. Repeating several plants creates a broad sweep of foliage color even before flowering begins. Most selections naturally form dense, rounded mounds and stay tidy with minimal pruning.
Double Play® flower clusters vary more than traditional pink spirea. The collection includes crisp white, electric purple, deep pink, dark purple, and some of the closest-to-red flowers found in spirea.
The clearest difference between varieties is foliage color, although flower color varies as well. Compare the spring leaf color, mature foliage, flowers, and size before choosing.
| Variety | Flowers | Foliage | Mature Size | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double Play® Gold | Hot pink | Fiery new growth turns bright gold to yellow | 18–24" H × 16–24" W | Small golden-foliage selection for edging and low borders |
| Double Play® Candy Corn® | Dark purple | Red new growth moves through orange to pineapple yellow | 18–24" H × 18–30" W | Most dramatic multicolor foliage progression |
| Double Play® Dolly™ | Electric purple | Orange-red new growth matures chartreuse to green | 18–30" H × 18–30" W | Purple blooms against bright chartreuse foliage |
| Double Play® Artisan® | Deep pink | Burgundy-red new growth matures to cool green | 2–2.5' H × 2–2.5' W | Dense bloom coverage from top to bottom |
| Double Play® Princess™ | Dark pink | Bright green | 1.5–3' H × 1.5–3' W | Dense rounded habit with abundant flowers at the stem tips |
| Double Play® Red | Sangria red-pink | Burgundy-purple spring foliage matures to green | 2–3' H × 2–3' W | Closest-to-red flower color in the Double Play® group |
| Double Play® Pink | Intense pink | Dark red spring foliage turns rich green | 2–3' H × 2–3' W | Strong pink flowers with colorful spring foliage |
| Double Play® Painted Lady® | Bright pink | Variegated green, yellow, cream & white | 2–3' H × 2–3' W | Only strongly variegated foliage choice in the collection |
| Double Play® Doozie | Red-purple | Deep red spring growth becomes green | 2–3' H × 2–3' W | Seedless selection that flowers repeatedly through summer |
| Double Play® Blue Kazoo® | White | Burgundy new growth, blue-green mature foliage & red fall color | 2–3' H × 2–3' W | Coolest foliage palette and the only white-flowered Double Play® |
| Double Play® Big Bang | Large light pink | Orange spring foliage turns bright yellow to chartreuse | 2–3' H × 2–3' W | Extra-large flower clusters plus strong spring foliage color |
Mature size and foliage color can vary with climate, light, pruning, and growing conditions.
The collection was bred to provide interest before and after flowering. Several selections change color as new leaves mature, giving the shrub a layered look for much of the growing season.
Spring foliage starts candy-apple red, moves through orange, and matures toward pineapple yellow as fresh orange-red growth continues.
Hot orange spring growth brightens toward yellow and chartreuse before large light pink flower clusters arrive.
Burgundy-tinted new growth matures to waxy blue-green foliage, followed by richer red tones in fall.
Green leaves are splashed with yellow, cream, and white for a variegated look that remains interesting between bloom cycles.
Blue Kazoo® stands apart from the warmer gold and burgundy selections. Its blue-green leaves are brushed with burgundy on new growth. Crisp white flowers appear in spring, and the foliage develops richer red color in fall.
Double Play Doozie® was bred as a seedless triploid spirea. Without seed production drawing energy away from flowering, the plant continues producing red-purple flower clusters from late spring through summer and into fall.
It does not need deadheading to keep the display going. New growth develops over older flowers and continues forming fresh buds.
Double Play Big Bang starts spring with glowing orange foliage that matures toward yellow and chartreuse. Large light pink flowers add another layer of color as the season progresses. Its compact size is perfect for patio containers, where the changing foliage can be appreciated up close.
Spirea is adaptable, but good light, drainage, and steady watering during establishment produce the strongest plant habit and color.
Give Double Play® spirea several hours of direct sun. Stronger light generally improves foliage color, flowering, and growth density.
Spirea tolerates a range of garden soils as long as excess water can drain away. A layer of mulch helps conserve moisture around the roots.
Avoid letting young shrubs become severely dry during their first seasons. Established plants tolerate occasional dry periods better.
One application of granular fertilizer formulated for woody plants in early spring is generally sufficient. A second light feeding can be made in late spring.
Most Double Play® selections naturally stay compact. If shaping is necessary, lightly trim after flowering. Heavy routine shearing is unnecessary.
Most selections bloom primarily in spring or early summer. Doozie® is the standout for repeated flowering through summer without deadheading.
Compact dimensions make Double Play® spirea easy to work into existing beds. Use several plants for a broad band of color or place a single shrub where its changing foliage can provide contrast.
Plant Addicts offers Double Play® spirea along with practical plant care information, purchase protection, and support from a family-owned online plant nursery.
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Find practical information covering planting, watering, pruning, containers, seasonal care, and common spirea questions.
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About Plant AddictsLearn about pruning, planting, Doozie® care, mature size, foliage color, and choosing the right variety.
Double Play® spirea usually needs little pruning. If shaping is necessary, lightly trim after flowering. Removing a few dead or damaged stems in early spring is also appropriate.
Doozie® does not need to be sheared to keep blooming. Remove dead or damaged wood in early spring and lightly shape the shrub after an early flush only if necessary. Heavy summer pruning can remove developing flowers.
Gold generally keeps a compact mound without pruning. If you want to reshape it or encourage a flush of fresh golden foliage, give the shrub a light trim after flowering.
Plant Doozie® in part sun to full sun and well-drained soil. Water regularly during establishment. Once established, the shrub is relatively drought tolerant. Deadheading is not needed for continued flowering.
Choose a site with good drainage and several hours of direct sun. Dig a hole about as deep as the root ball and wider than the container, place the plant at its existing soil level, backfill, and water thoroughly. Space plants about 2–3 feet apart.
Double Play Doozie® reaches about 2–3 feet tall and 2–3 feet wide, forming a dense rounded shrub.
Pair it with sun-loving perennials, ornamental grasses, compact evergreens, weigela, viburnum, or other shrubs with contrasting foliage. Blue, purple, white, and chartreuse companions work especially well beside its red-pink flowers.
No. Double Play Doozie® is specifically bred as a seedless, non-invasive selection. That characteristic should not automatically be applied to every cultivar in the Double Play® collection.
Candy Corn® offers one of the most dramatic foliage transitions, moving from red to orange and yellow. Big Bang adds orange and chartreuse tones, Blue Kazoo® supplies blue-green foliage, and Painted Lady® has distinctive cream, yellow, and green variegation.
Double Play® Gold and Candy Corn® are among the smallest selections, generally staying around 18–24 inches tall. Dolly™ is also compact at roughly 18–30 inches.
Double Play® spirea can grow in part sun to full sun. Several hours of direct sun generally produce denser growth, stronger foliage color, and more flowers. Some afternoon protection can be useful in very hot climates.
Choose Candy Corn® for red-orange-yellow foliage, Blue Kazoo® for cool blue-green leaves and white flowers, Big Bang for large pink blooms, Red for the deepest red-pink flowers, Painted Lady® for variegation, Gold for a low golden mound, or Doozie® for an especially long flower season.
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