Virginia spiraea (Spiraea virginiana)
Where Listed: WHEREVER FOUND
The Virginia spiraea is found in the Appalachian Plateaus or the southern Blue Ridge Mountains in Alabama, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Georgia. It no longer occurs in Pennsylvania. This plant was first discovered in Virginia in 1985. Most of the existing populations consist of only a few clumps. Mature plants reach a height of three to ten feet. Young stems are greenish-yellow to dark brown and mature stems are dark gray. The roots form a complex system. The creamy white flowers are in tightly packed bunches.
- States/US Territories in which the Virginia spiraea, Wherever found is known to or is believed to occur: Georgia , Kentucky , North Carolina , Ohio , Tennessee , Virginia , West Virginia
- US Counties in which the Virginia spiraea, Wherever found is known to or is believed to occur: View All
|Status||Date Listed||Lead Region||Where Listed|
|1990-06-15||Northeast Region (Region 5)||Wherever found|
» Federal Register Documents
|1990-06-15 00:00:00.0||55 FR 24241 24247||ETWP; Threatened Status Determined for Spiraea virginiana (Virginia spiraea); 55 FR 24241 24247|
|1989-07-21 00:00:00.0||54 FR 30577 30581||ETWP; Proposed Threatened Status for Spirae virginiana (Virgina Spiraea); 54 FR 30577 30581|
|2008-01-23 00:00:00.0||73 FR 3991 3993||Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 10 Listed Species|
|Date||Title||Plan Action Status||Plan Status|
|1992-11-13||Virginia Spiraea||View Implementation Progress||Final|
|Date||Citation Page||Title||Document Type|
|2008-01-23||73 FR 3991 3993||Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 10 Listed Species||
» Critical Habitat
No critical habitat rules have been published for the Virginia spiraea.
» Conservation Plans
No conservation plans have been created for Virginia spiraea.
» Life History
Virginia spiraea is found along scoured banks of high gradient streams or on meander scrolls, point bars, natural levees, and braided features of lower stream reaches. In Virginia, soils are sandy, silty, or clay and elevation range is 1000- 2400 feet. If the roots are exposed, they will give rise to upright stems.
Seed production is sporadic and seedlings have never been documented in the wild. Sexual reproduction is rare indicating the genetic variability within and probably between stream occurrences is low. Few mature seeds and no seedlings have been observed. Little population expansion has been reported. Late summer and fall flower bunches often dry and persist during the winter, making field identification possible.
Fragmentation by erosion or scour and subsequent downstream travel may be the most important means of dispersal for this species. The most important factor in maintaining this plant seems to be removal of woody competition by erosion. Scour must be sufficient to remove woody trees and vines without washing out the horizontal root.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.