It is found growing along streams, rivers, forest edges, roadsides, successional fields, and power line right-of-ways.

It prefers much water during the growing season; however, it cannot tolerate saturated soils for extended periods of time.

It prefers a rich, moist loam, but it can grow in a wide variety of soils, including those on the alkaline side.

[4] Spiraea japonica was introduced in North America as an ornamental landscape plant and first cultivated in the northeastern states around 1870.

In the UK, the following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-[6] S. japonica has been used as traditional medicine by native people, and extracts from the plants were found to be bioactive.