Growing Guide
 
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Hybrid Astilbe

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Also known as False Spirea
Astilbe x arendsii
Saxifragaceae Family

Some of the most popular plants for moist, shady areas, these hybrids form mounds of fern-like, medium green foliage and bear delicate, feathery plumes of tiny blooms in many shades. Varieties also offer a wide range of foliage color, size and bloom times from late spring to late summer.

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Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • full sun
  • part shade
Prefers shady, moist sites. Can grow in direct sun with constant moisture.

Soil conditions:

  • requires well-drained soil
  • requires damp soil
  • requires high fertility
Prefers shady, moist sites, but needs good drainage overwinter. Can grow in direct sun with constant moisture.

Hardiness zones:

  • 4 to 9
May be damaged by late spring frosts, but rebound quickly.

Special locations:

  • outdoor containers - Can be forced to flower inside after exposing to temperatures below 40 F for 3 months.
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: moderately difficult

Height: 1.5 to 4.5 feet

Most varieties are about 2 to 3 feet tall.

Spread: 1 to 2 feet

Bloom time:

  • late spring
  • early summer
  • mid-summer
  • late summer
  • early fall

Depends on variety.

Flower color:

  • red
  • orange
  • violet
  • white
  • pink

Depending on variety, blooms in shades of red, pink, white, purple and peach.

Foliage color:

  • medium green
  • dark green
  • other

Sometimes tinted with bronze, depending on variety.

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: cushion, mound or clump

Shape in flower: flower stalks with upright spikes

Tiny blooms borne in dense plume-like panicles on erect flower stems.

Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
  • deer resistant
  • non-aggressive
  • non-invasive
  • not native to North America - Product of horticultural selection
  • bears ornamental fruit - Spent flowers are attractive and can be left until spring.
Special uses:
  • dried flowers - Cut when blooms are just open, remove all leaves, and hang in a dark well-venilated area.
    The dried seed heads can also be used.
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by division or separation - Divide in spring. Division every 3 or 4 years helps keep plants healthy. Discard old, weakened rhizomes and replant only newer, healthy roots.

Maintenance and care:
Deadhead if self-seeding is a problem, but it won't induce more flowering.

Astilbes generally do not need staking.

Water during dry spells.   

Remove dead leaves or cut back plants to the ground if their foliage becomes dried out and brown during summer. This will encourage more foliage growth if cool, moist conditions return, or plants may remain dormant until spring.

Allow spent foliage to remain for the winter. Spent blooms are ornamental in fall and winter. Cut back to the ground in the spring.

Astilbes are heavy feeders and respond well to high nitrogen fertilizer in fall.

Needs well-drained soil overwinter.

More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Pests:
Tarnished plant bug
White fly
Black vine weevil
Japanese beetle
Diseases:
Powdery mildew
Bacterial leaf spot
Cercospora leaf spot
Varieties
Varieties offer a wide range of flower and foliage color, plant size and bloom time.

'America' ('Amerika') grows 2.5 feet tall with violet-rose blooms in early- to midsummer.

'Amethyst' grows 2.5 to 3 feet tall with pale purple-pink blooms in early summer.

'Anite Pfeifer' grows 2.5 feet tall with peachy-rose looms in mid- to late summer.

'Bridal Veil' ('Brautschleier') grows 2.5 feet tall with pure white, semi-nodding blooms that fade to cream color.

'Bressingham Beauty' grows 3 feet tall with vivid pink blooms in midsummer and bronze-tinted medium green leaves.

'Bumalda' grows 2.5 feet tall with pink-tinted, white blooms in early to midsummer.

'Cattleya' grows 3 feet tall with loosely arranged reddish-pink blooms in midsummer. Often reblooms in early fall.

'Diamond' ('Diamant') grows 2.5 feet tall with medium-green leaves and pure white blooms.

'Erica' ('Erika') grows 3 feet tall with pink blooms and bronze-tinted foliage.

'Etna' grows 2 feet tall with deep red blooms in midsummer.

'Fanal' grows 2 feet tall with dark green leaves and deep-red blooms in early summer.

'Federsee' grows 2 feet tall with medium green leaves and rosy-pink blooms in mid to late summer.

'Fire' ('Feuer') grows 3 feet tall with deep red blooms in late summer.

'Gertrud Brix' grows 2 feet tall with dark red blooms in midsummer.

'Gloria Purpurea' grows 1.5 feet tall with violet-pink blooms in midsummer

'Glow' ('Glut') grows 3 feet tall with deep red blooms in late summer.

'Granat' grows 2 feet tall with deep red blooms over dark green foliage.

'Grete Pungel' grows 3 feet tall with peach-pink blooms in early- to midsummer.

'Hyacinth' ('Hyazinth') grows 3 feet tall with purple-pink blooms in midsummer.

'Irrlicht' grows 1.5 feet tall with dark green leaves and pure white blooms in late spring and early summer.

'Mars' grows 3 feet tall with violet-rose blooms in early to midsummer.

'Purple Blaze' grows 4 to 4.5 feet tall with purple blooms in late summer.

'Red Light' ('Rotlicht') grows 1.5 feet tall with bright red blooms in midsummer.

'Snowdrift' grows 2 feet tall with pure white blooms in early to midsummer.

'Spartan' grows 2 feet tall with dark red blooms in midsummer.

'Venus' grows 3 feet tall with medium-green leaves and vivid pink blooms in early summer.

'White Glory' ('Weisse Gloria') grows 3 feet tall with pure white blooms in late summer and early fall.