spirea
noun
spi·rea spī-ˈrē-ə 
variants or spiraea
1
: any of a genus (Spiraea) of deciduous shrubs of the rose family with small usually white or pink flowers in dense racemes, corymbs, cymes, or panicles
2
: any of several garden plants resembling spireas
especially : a shrub (Astilbe japonica) of the saxifrage family
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The garden’s blooms include spirea, Japanese snowbell, flowering dogwood, lilacs, roses and much more. 
Marc Bona, cleveland, 2 June 2022 Joynt and Kobelt bring a sensitive eye and an intuitive approach to their designs — joyful tumbles of roses, hellebores, ranunculus, anemone and spirea that capture the spirit of their farm. New York Times, 4 May 2021 Double Play Doozie is a Japanese spirea that also fits the bill. Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2019 Steve Stash of Dove Creek Nursery restored the garden to its original style as dictated by landscaper John Grant, who created experiences through a series of terraces with plantings of sedum, geranium, hosta, foxglove, heather and spirea. Janet Eastman, OregonLive.com, 9 May 2018 Wright and others adopted pieces, from erecting pavilion-like structures to planting goldflame Japanese spirea. Janet Eastman, OregonLive.com, 8 Feb. 2018 That disease may attack any member of the rose family, including hawthorns, mountain ash and spirea as well as apples, pears and of course roses. Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 31 Jan. 2018 Like Little Princess spirea, this popular plant was given a misleading name. Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, 27 May 2017 Reaching 5-12 feet, the growth habit of ninebark is a loose mound similar to a large spirea and does well incorporated into a shrub border or natural planting. Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, 4 May 2017 See More
Marc Bona, cleveland, 2 June 2022 Joynt and Kobelt bring a sensitive eye and an intuitive approach to their designs — joyful tumbles of roses, hellebores, ranunculus, anemone and spirea that capture the spirit of their farm. New York Times, 4 May 2021 Double Play Doozie is a Japanese spirea that also fits the bill. Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2019 Steve Stash of Dove Creek Nursery restored the garden to its original style as dictated by landscaper John Grant, who created experiences through a series of terraces with plantings of sedum, geranium, hosta, foxglove, heather and spirea. Janet Eastman, OregonLive.com, 9 May 2018 Wright and others adopted pieces, from erecting pavilion-like structures to planting goldflame Japanese spirea. Janet Eastman, OregonLive.com, 8 Feb. 2018 That disease may attack any member of the rose family, including hawthorns, mountain ash and spirea as well as apples, pears and of course roses. Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 31 Jan. 2018 Like Little Princess spirea, this popular plant was given a misleading name. Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, 27 May 2017 Reaching 5-12 feet, the growth habit of ninebark is a loose mound similar to a large spirea and does well incorporated into a shrub border or natural planting. Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, 4 May 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin Spiraea, from Latin, a plant, from Greek speiraia
First Known Use
1669, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
spirea
noun
spi·rea
variants or spiraea
spī-ˈrē-ə
: a shrub related to the rose that bears clusters of small white or pink flowers