Grefsheim is distinguished among spireas for one reason above all: it blooms early, producing fragrant white flowers along slender, still-bare branches before the foliage has emerged. The effect is singular, a curtain of small white blossoms with no leaves competing for attention, appearing in early spring when that kind of lightness in the garden is most welcome. The narrow green leaves follow the flowers, clothing the arching branches in a dense cover that holds through summer. The shrub grows 5 to 6 feet tall with a broadly mounded, upright habit and an outward arch to its branches that gives it graceful movement in a breeze.

Plant Grefsheim in full sun for the most prolific flowering, though it tolerates light shade without complaint. It prefers rich loam but handles clay and sandy soils and is drought tolerant once established. It flowers on new wood, so prune in late winter or early spring if shaping is needed, and shear off the dried flower heads after bloom to encourage continued flowering. In informal garden settings, along banks, or as a filler at the front of a large shrub border, this cultivar performs with quiet confidence.