Matcha Ball Ash Leaf Spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Levgreen')
sor-BAR-ee-ah sor-bih-FOE-lee-ah 'Levgreen'

Deciduous Perennial Mounding in the Rosaceae Family
A compact, rounded false spirea cultivar prized for its ever-changing foliage color.

Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Levgreen', sold as Matcha Ball (First Editions brand, US Plant Patent 31,202), is a compact, rounded false spirea cultivar bred for a much smaller footprint than the species. New leaves and their stalks emerge a striking reddish peach-orange, mature to grassy green through summer, then turn golden-yellow in fall.

At just 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide, it keeps the species' easy care and tidy, mounded habit without the aggressive spread, making it a good fit for smaller borders and foundation plantings. Flowering is sparse compared to the species, with the real draw being its season-long foliage color changes.

Pros

  • Much more compact than the species, suiting smaller gardens
  • Season-long foliage color changes: orange new growth, green summer, gold fall
  • Low-maintenance, pest/disease-free

Cons

  • Sparse flowering compared to the species
Highlights
  • Patented First Editions introduction (USPP31,202) bred specifically for compact size
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 36 inches tall. 3 - 4 feet wide.
Growth Rate Moderate
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 3a - 7b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Deciduous, Full Sun, Full Sun, Medium, Medium, Perennial, Shrub
Bloom Period June to July
Flower Color White
Foliage Color Orange

Commonly Planted with...

Other compact shrubs suited to foundation and border plantings.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!