Spiraea x vanhouttei 'PINK ICE' Van Houtte's spirea

Pink Ice spirea will captivate you at first sight, as soon as the new leaves emerge in spring: the young foliage shows a bright pink tone, which within days transforms into delicately variegated leaves. The base colour is green, infused with creamy white patches, while the youngest parts blush pink, so the shrub resembles a pastel mosaic. New twigs are vivid red. In May and June, dense clusters of small white flowers appear among the leaves, contrasting with the variegation and giving the shrub a lightness, as if dusted with snow. After flowering, numerous small seed follicles develop, but they remain sterile (containing no seeds or only non‑viable embryos). If left on the branches, they can give the shrub a slightly untidy appearance, so it is recommended to prune the spent flower clusters promptly, which encourages production of new shoots and foliage, keeping the plant fresh and attractive. The habit is compact and mostly upright, reaching about 1–1.5 meters in height and width, making it suitable for smaller gardens and urban plantings.

This cultivar was selected by British breeder Peter Catt and introduced to the market in 1995 through his Liss Forest Nursery in Hampshire. Catt was among Europe’s most prominent growers of ornamental shrubs, renowned not only for his plant‑hunting journeys but also for a series of cultivars of his own, including Spiraea japonica ‘Golden Princess’ and the much‑loved Choisya × dewitteana ‘Greenfingers’, which we cherish for its large leaves, fragrant flowers, and excellent hardiness. Peter Catt was a long‑standing chairman of the woody plant trials committee at the Royal Horticultural Society, recipient of the Veitch Memorial Medal (1998) and the RHS’s highest honor, the Victoria Medal of Honour (2018). He also served as honorary president of the Liss Horticultural Society. He passed away in 2025, but his cultivars and nursery legacy live on and continue to shape modern horticulture.

‘Pink Ice’ is an ideal choice for gardens where you want to combine gentle elegance with ease of care. Thanks to its compact growth, it suits small front gardens, urban plantings, or as a lawn specimen. It looks striking alongside dark‑leaved shrubs such as purple-leaved varieties of Physocarpus opulifolius, or conifers that highlight its variegation. It can also be used in informal hedges and mixed borders, where it acts as a fresh splash of color, while in perennial beds it pairs beautifully with blue‑flowering plants such as catmints, sages, or rudbeckias. Its frost resistance and soil tolerance make it suitable even for less experienced gardeners.

Van Houtte’s spirea ranks among the most reliable and least demanding ornamental shrubs – we call them “fool‑proof.” It thrives in sunny sites and ordinary garden soil, requires little watering, and tolerates light drought well. After flowering, it is advisable to remove spent inflorescences to maintain a neat appearance and stimulate new growth. This is also the best time for pruning as it bloom on previous year’s growths. Thanks to plant’s resilience and longevity, it is suitable not only for open ground but also for large containers, where it shines on terraces or balconies – provided it receives sufficient moisture and regular feeding to stay vigorous. The species is resistant to browsing by wildlife, non‑toxic to humans and domestic or farm animals, and fully hardy down to about –40 °C (USDA zone 3a), requiring no winter protection.

Last update 19-11-2025