Plant Image Data Base                                         

  Astilbe

                                     Astilbe or False Spirea

• Form
  • herbaceous perennial
  • ranging from 1' to 5' tall by 1' to 2' wide, depending upon species, hybrid, and/or cultivar; many are 1.5' tall by 1' wide
  • upright growth habit
• Culture
  • partial shade to full shade
  • needs moist, rich, well-drained soils for optimum performance
  • wilting and dieback of the attractive foliage in hot, dry summers can be avoided by occasional summer watering
  • no significant disease or pest problems
  • abundantly available in containers
  • remove debris from the previous year's growth in early spring, before new growth emerges
• Foliage
  • fernlike in appearance, emerging from the crown as red, bronzed, or green foliage and usually maturing as bronzed, dark green, or medium green foliage, depending upon species, hybrid, and/or cultivar
  • leaflets doubly serrated and ovate
• Flowers
  • inflorescences are solid colored, pyramidal, fine-textured, and arising from the center of the crown, with one to many plumes per plant
  • colors include white, cream, pink, lavender, violet, purple, red, or scarlet
  • often a prolonged (two to six week) bloom period during the months from June to September, depending upon the cultivar

• Function
  • entranceway, foundation, bed, edging, border, or raised planter shade perennial, often used effectively in group or mass plantings
  • nearly continuous bloom of Astilbe can be accomplished throughout the summer growing season by placement of various types throughout the perennial garden that have sequential bloom periods (see the list below for some of the more popular examples)

• Purpose
  • Astilbe is a perennial for the shade, noted for its fine-textured pyramidal inflorescences, good foliage, and winter fruiting-head effect.
• Summary
  • Astilbe is a summer-flowering, shade-loving perennial having terminal plumes of feathery inflorescences held above the basal compound foliage, effectively used in group or mass plantings.

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