Spirea alba
Michigan native: Yes
Also known as: White meadowsweet 
 
Meadowsweet is a medium sized shrub that grows naturally in bogs, swamps, wet meadows, and along stream banks and shore areas. The small, white, fragrant flowers grow on a 4 inch panicle, blooming in succession from top to bottom. These flowers are a nectar source for a variety of pollinators, and it is the larval host for Spring Azure butterfly (shown above). The foliage turns gold-yellow in fall, and brown seed capsules provide food for songbirds in autumn. Meadowsweet is commonly used in mass plantings for a border or hedge, but keep in mind that it is sensitive to heat and does poorly in dry conditions.
 
Height:                                    Bloom Time:
3 to 4'                                      June, July, August
Bloom Color:                        Soil Moisture:
White                                       Medium, Moist, Wet
Soil Type:
Average, medium to wet, well-drained.
Light Requirements:
Part shade, Part Sun, Full sun