Douglas spiraea, also known as hardhack, steeplebush, western spiraea, and rose spiraea, is a shrub that grows up to 2 meters (6 ft.) in height and frequently forms thickets. Its leaves are alternate, deciduous, dark green on the surface with a lighter and fuzzy underside, oval-shaped, and toothed on the upper half. Flowers are small, light pink to deep fuchsia in color, and gathered in a long spike or cone up to 3 in. long. (4)
Hardhack ranges from Alaska to the Pacific Northwest (2)
Hardhack prefers moist, riparian environments from low-middle elevations including streambanks, lakeshores, wetlands, and damp meadows. (4)
Spiraea is an important part of Northwest habitats, particularly the Western hemlock/Sikta spruce habitats of British Columbia and the quaking aspen/lodgepole pine/widefruit sedge habitats of Oregon, which are important habitat types for deer, elk, and raptors. It is browsed by black-tailed deer, used as breeding habitat by long-billed marsh wrens, and occasionally used as forage by livestock. (2)
The Nuu-chah-nulth tribe on the Western side of Vancouver Island used a broom of hardhack attached to a Douglas-fir pole inserted into oceanfloor mud and used to harvest incredibly valuable dentalium shells, which were used as a form of currency amongst Northwest people and traded as far inland the Great Plains (5) Branches were used for drying and smoking salmon and for brushes and brooms by Bella Coola, Nlaka'pamux, and Lummi tribes among others. The Lummi tribe used hardhack as an antidiarrheal, and the Quinault tribe used the peeled stems to roast clams. (2)
Douglas spiraea has been used in riparian revegetation projects and has been used in black cottonwood and silver fir plant communities for ecological restoration. (1) Hardhack is a valued ornamental in English gardens (3)
