Hydrangea quercifolia Ice Crystal

Hydrangea quercifolia Ice Crystal is a new variety of Oakleaf Hydrangea that owes its name to the lovely frosted powder that covers its young foliage and lingers until October on its beautiful, finely cut leaves that have turned purple. This cultivar also stands out for its relatively compact habit, supported by a solid and ramified framework that better resists the weather. Its summer flowering, in upright clusters of large sterile cream-white flowers, remains decorative on the plant for a long time. Like all 'oak leaves', this hydrangea is not demanding in terms of soil and climate. Discover it today!

Hydrangea quercifolia, from the Hydrangeaceae family, is mainly native to the southwestern United States, particularly the Mississippi Valley. It is a large deciduous shrub, which can reach 4 m (13 ft) in height in its natural habitat and produces shoots to reach up to 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) in width. It is characterised by large lobed leaves, the appearance of which can resemble oak leaves. It is appreciated for its superb autumn colours and its flowering in large white and upright panicles composed of small powdery fertile flowers surrounded by larger fertile florets. In the garden, it is one of the easiest hydrangeas to grow: it is hardy below -20 °C (-4 °F), tolerates a little lime in the soil, and copes with heat and occasionally dry soils in summer.

The 'Ice Crystal' cultivar distinguishes itself by more modest growth and a well-ramified habit, as well as more finely cut foliage, which is covered by a silvery down at budburst followed by autumn colours in purple tones rather than red, and larger fertile florets on the inflorescences. Its growth is rather slow for the species: it will reach around 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) in all directions at about 10 years old. However, an aged plant can measure 1.75 m (5 ft 8 in) in height and 1.25 m (4 ft) in width.

One of the major assets of this variety is its foliage: its young leaves are covered with a silvery grey velvet in spring, but also at the end of summer when the old leaves take on fantastic purple and burgundy hues. The summer foliage, of a rather soft green, is composed of large leaves cut into 5 deep lobes, with roughly dentate edges. Flowering begins in June-July, depending on the climate. It consists of long upright inflorescences 10 to 15 cm (3.9 to 5.9 in) long. Each is composed of small fertile cream-white flowers with prominent stamens contrasting with large fertile flowers, in the shape of white stars. At the end of the season, these inflorescences take on a green and pink hue depending on the nature of the soil, forming a beautiful decoration on the autumn foliage.

Hydrangea quercifolia Ice Crystal likes slightly sunny exposures which accentuate its autumn colours: the light filtered by the foliage of trees or even shade in a hot climate. It is used in a bed, as a standalone plant in a small garden or at the bend of a path, in a small free hedge or even in a pot on the terrace. It can be combined with other hydrangeas, but also with Nandina, Mexican orange trees, purple Berberis and Physocarpus, or even with silver torches which, like it, appreciate partial shade. It will be absolutely superb when paired with amaranths (Amaranthus Velvet Curtains) and hastate verbena (Verbena hastata Rosea).