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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Spiraea tomentosa

Hardhack \Hard"hack`\ (-h[a^]k`), n. (Bot.) A very astringent shrub ( Spir[ae]a tomentosa), common in pastures. The Potentilla fruticosa is also called by this name.

Spiraea tomentosa

Steeple \Stee"ple\ (st[=e]"p'l), n. [OE. stepel, AS. st[=e]pel, st[=y]pel; akin to E. steep, a.] (Arch.) A spire; also, the tower and spire taken together; the whole of a structure if the roof is of spire form. See Spire. ``A weathercock on a steeple.''
--Shak.

Rood steeple. See Rood tower, under Rood.

Steeple bush (Bot.), a low shrub ( Spir[ae]a tomentosa) having dense panicles of minute rose-colored flowers; hardhack.

Steeple chase, a race across country between a number of horsemen, to see which can first reach some distant object, as a church steeple; hence, a race over a prescribed course obstructed by such obstacles as one meets in riding across country, as hedges, walls, etc.

Steeple chaser, one who rides in a steeple chase; also, a horse trained to run in a steeple chase.

Steeple engine, a vertical back-acting steam engine having the cylinder beneath the crosshead.

Steeple house, a church. [Obs.]
--Jer. Taylor.

Wikipedia
Spiraea tomentosa

Spiraea tomentosa, commonly known as the steeplebush, meadowsweet, or hardhack, is a plant similar in characteristics to S. douglasii.

Spiraea tomentosa grows to up to four feet high, and prefers moist to wet soil and full sun. It blooms in summer. Individual Steeplebush flowers are about 1/16 of an inch wide and are arranged in narrow, pyramid-shaped clusters that can be up to eight inches long. Butterflies and other nectar-feeding insects find the flowers highly attractive. The flowers are followed by small, dry, brown fruit. It has a dense white-woolly tomentum which covers its stem and the underside of its leaves. It is noted for its astringent properties, which cause it to be used medicinally.

The hardiness zone for this plant is listed as zones 4 to 8. It is found natively in the eastern United States and Canada.