Images Depict Mature Plants
Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea
Spiraea japonica 'NCSX1'
Double Play® Candy Corn® is a spirea I like when the bed needs color even before the flowers show up. The red spring growth, yellow mature foliage, and orange new tips give you a lot more than a quick bloom moment, and the purple flowers are a nice bonus. I would use it in groups along a walk, in front of evergreens, or as a bright foundation accent. Give it sun for the best color, keep it watered while it settles in, and trim it after bloom if you want another flush of fresh, candy-colored growth.
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Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea Brings Red, Orange, Yellow, and Purple Color to the Landscape
A Colorful Spirea Shrub With Three-Season Foliage
Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea is a compact ornamental shrub grown for its bold foliage color and easy-care landscape performance. The show starts in spring when new growth emerges candy apple red, then matures to bright pineapple yellow. Fresh new growth continues to appear in warm orange-red tones, giving the plant a layered, multi-color look through the season.
This is a strong shrub for homeowners who want color year-round. Use Double Play® Candy Corn® where foliage contrast matters: near evergreens, along walkways, in foundation beds, at the front of sunny borders, or in mass plantings where the red, orange, and yellow tones can brighten the whole bed.
Purple Flowers Add a Second Color Moment
In late spring to early summer, Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea produces clusters of purple to dark pinkish-purple flowers that stand out beautifully against the yellow foliage. The flower display is not the only reason to grow this shrub, but it adds a colorful bloom moment at just the right time of year.
The flowers also attract pollinators, including bees and butterflies. After the first bloom, a light trim can encourage a flush of fresh, colorful foliage and may support additional scattered blooms. That combination of foliage and flowers gives this spirea more interest than a shrub grown for bloom alone.
Compact Size for Foundations, Edges, and Walkways
Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea naturally forms a tidy, rounded mound, making it easy to fit into everyday landscapes. It typically grows about 18 to 30 inches tall and wide, depending on pruning, climate, and growing conditions. That compact size makes it especially useful for small-space color.
Plant it along a walkway, in front of taller shrubs, around a mailbox, in a sunny foundation bed, or in groups for a low border. It also works well in mixed beds with boxwood, hollies, hydrangeas, weigela, roses, ornamental grasses, catmint, lavender, coneflowers, sedum, and black-eyed Susans.
Low Maintenance With Smart Pruning
Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea is naturally rounded and does not require frequent pruning to maintain its shape. If you prefer a very neat mound, prune lightly in early spring before new growth begins. This helps refresh the plant and encourages strong new foliage color.
Because it blooms on new wood, spring pruning is safe. You can also trim after the flowers fade to encourage another flush of colorful new growth. Avoid heavy pruning in extreme heat, and remember that this variety can be less heat-tolerant than some other spireas, so steady moisture and afternoon protection may help in hotter regions.
Best in Sun, Good Drainage, and Everyday Garden Soil
Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea grows best in full sun to part sun. More sun usually creates the strongest foliage color and best flowering, while part sun can be helpful in hot climates. It adapts to most garden soils as long as drainage is good.
Once established, this spirea is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and rabbit-resistant, making it useful in low-maintenance landscapes. Water regularly during the first growing season, mulch lightly to protect the root zone, and avoid wet sites where the soil stays soggy. With the right placement, it becomes an easy color shrub for front yards and sunny garden beds.
| Hardiness Zone: | 4-8 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 18 to 30 Inches |
| Mature Width: | 18 to 30 Inches |
| Sunlight: | Full sun to part sun; best color in sun |
| Soil: | Adaptable to most well-drained soils; avoid very wet sites |
| Water: | Average moisture; water regularly until established |
| Bloom Time / Color: | Late spring to early summer; purple to dark pinkish-purple flower clusters |
| Foliage: | New growth emerges candy apple red, matures pineapple yellow, with orange-red new growth continuing through the season |
| Ornamental Features: | Red spring foliage, yellow mature foliage, orange-red new growth, purple flowers, compact mounded habit, three-season color |
| Wildlife Value: | Flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators |
| Resistance (deer/disease/drought/etc.): | Deer resistant; rabbit resistant; drought tolerant once established; disease resistant in good conditions |
| Landscape Uses: | Foundations, borders, edging, low hedges, mass plantings, walkway edges, mailbox beds, front yards, specimen accents, mixed shrub beds |
How to Care for Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea
Be sure to read our planting instructions to ensure a healthy and happy Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea for years to come!
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How should I plant Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea?
Plant Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea in full sun to part sun with well-drained soil. Full sun gives the brightest foliage color and strongest bloom, while part sun can be helpful in hotter climates. Avoid low, wet areas where the soil stays soggy after rain. Dig a hole two to three times wider than the root ball and about the same depth as the container. Set the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil, backfill with native soil, water deeply, and apply mulch around the root zone while keeping mulch away from the stems.
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How often should I water Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea after planting?
Water Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea deeply after planting and keep the soil evenly moist during the first growing season. New shrubs need consistent moisture while roots establish, especially during heat, wind, drought, or full-sun exposure. Once established, this spirea is drought tolerant and usually requires less supplemental water. It will still look better with deep watering during extended dry spells. Avoid frequent shallow watering and avoid keeping the soil wet for long periods.
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When should I fertilize Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea?
Fertilize Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea in early spring if growth is weak or the soil is poor. Use a balanced slow-release shrub fertilizer or a light compost topdressing around the root zone. In average garden soil, this shrub often performs well without heavy feeding. Avoid overfertilizing, especially with high-nitrogen fertilizer, because it can push soft growth and reduce the tidy habit. Good sun, drainage, moisture during establishment, and occasional pruning are usually more important than frequent fertilizer.
When and how should I prune / cut back Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea?
Prune Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea in early spring if you want to refresh the plant, reduce size, or encourage strong new foliage color. This shrub blooms on new wood, so early spring pruning will not remove old-wood flower buds the way it would on spring-blooming shrubs. You can also trim lightly after the first flowers fade to encourage a flush of colorful new growth. Avoid shearing constantly or cutting during extreme heat. For older plants, remove weak, dead, or tired stems to keep the mound full and fresh.
