Hi Plant Peeps. What to choose, what to choose for the plant of the week? So many plants are worthy of a post, as you fellow plant lovers know.
After much contemplation, I decided to go with this lovely variegated Spiraea. Spiraea x vanhouttei'Pink Ice.'
This plant is one of the legacies of the now-defunct Fry Road Nursery. It came as a spunky little thing, in a four inch pot or it could have been a plug since I bought a lot of my plants that way back in the day. This one specifically in the year 2009.
Any plant with "pink" in its name will pique my interest and I swoon over variegated foliage too. I was defenseless against this beauty.
This is how it looked a few weeks ago as the flower buds were forming.
Image may be NSFW.
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The little sputnik flower buds, protruding from their bright pink petioles are utterly charming.
Eventually, the pink fades to white, and the little buds open to flossy flowers, attractive to bees.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| This picture was taken in 2018 |
One other nice thing about this plant is that there is lots of new growth at the base. This means that rather than having to deadhead to keep it looking tidy all season, a gardener can cut back the woody stems to the ground. This opens up the plant so the new growth can stretch and grow.
Then, until fall, we are bedazzled with green and cream--with a touch of pink--variegated leaves. Like most, if not all in the genus Spiraea, this one is deciduous so it appears as nothing but sticks in winter. Unlike most Spiraea, however, this one doesn't get that disappointing foliar mildew. (Maybe I'm the only one with this troubling annoyance?)
I've found 'Pink Ice' super easy to grow. Mine is in dappled shade in the morning and a few hours of sun in the afternoon.
It is about 2 feet and 3 feet tall and wide right now.
Pink Ice Spiraea is winter-hardy in Zones 3-9. See more photos and prose here: Plant Lust
Below is a really crappy photo of 'Pink Ice' in August.
(PS. I'm not receiving any compensation for these Plant of the Week posts, [unless you want to pay me]. Just having fun, sharing what I love.)
Thank you for visiting. Go ahead and tell me what you think.