Spiraea x vanhouttei

Spiraea x vanhouttei, also known as Van Houtte's spirea, is a medium size, vigorous bush with an elegant, upright habit that then falls in arches. It is adorned with bluish-green foliage and offers an abundant flowering season with white garlands in the heart of summer. The show ends in autumn, when the foliage turns orange-yellow. This reliable shrub is very versatile and easy to grow.

Spiraea x vanhouttei belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is a hybrid resulting from the cross-breeding between Spiraea cantionensis of Chinese origin and S. trilobata native to Mongolia. The growth of this bush is quite fast, more or less depending on the growing conditions. Its adult size will easily reach 2 m (6.6 ft) in all directions.
Spiraea x vanhouttei has a dense, weeping habit, initially upright and then falling in arches. The very generous flowering takes place in June-July, covering the bush with countless small white clusters, in flattened corymbs measuring 5 cm (2 in) in diameter, made up of small single flowers. They attract many insects and butterflies. The upright and erect branches bear arched twigs. The foliage is bluish-green, composed of small, alternate, simple, cut leaves in the shape of a diamond measuring 4 cm (1.6 in) long. This spirea adorns itself with remarkable yellow and orange hues in autumn.

Plant in any well-drained, dry to moist soil, preferably in the sun or partial shade. It will adapt to all climates and all soils, but dislikes dense shade. Note that once established, it tolerates drought very well. Water well in the first year. This plant blooms on one-year-old branches. Therefore, pruning, if necessary, should be done sparingly, after flowering, by cutting back one-third of the faded branches and removing one-fourth of the old branches at the base of the clump, otherwise it may not flower in the following spring. Apply a complete fertiliser in March. For a free hedge, plant with a spacing of 120 cm (47.2 in) at planting.

Spiraea x vanhouttei is mainly used individually, in a free hedge or in a flower bed for the beauty of its flowering and the elegance of its habit. It will happily grow alongside other large shrubs with summer flowering, in a flower bed or to fill a large slope. Pair it with alternate-leaved buddleia, Tamarix tetendra, Deutzia longifolia 'Veitchii', Philadelphus coronarius, or the large Japanese snowbell. Plant a clematis like Clematis Diamantina or C. 'Veronica's Choice' at its base, which will climb in its foliage and prolong the spectacle of its flowering.


This spirea is the most well-known of all. It is often used by landscapers for greening large slopes, along highways, and in the design of public or private spaces. This can be explained by the numerous qualities of this plant, whose white fountain-like flowering never ceases to amaze.