Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
' Delft Lace ' astilbe . Photo by : Proven Winners .
Move over , fern and hostas . Astilbe is the young must - have plant for shady garden plots , adding color , height and grain that breaks up the boredom of one - dimensional groundcovers and mound plant .
“ astilbe are rattling , almost indispensable garden perennials , ” says garden litterateur Allen Lacy , in his bookThe Gardener ’s Eye , commenting on how their “ steeples and spikes ” impart the vertical pizazz needed in every garden .
With hundreds of cultivars available , they also give gardeners a wide range of options in tiptop and bloom sentence ; from the early - blooming ' Rheinland ' , which opens its fluffy cotton - confect pink spires along withbleeding heartsin May , to the dwarf Chinese astilbe , which flower in late summer with adorable lilac plume . “ There is so much magnetic declination among astilbe that I can consider of a pleasing garden consisting of few perennials other than hostas and astilbes , ” Lacy comment .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Companion Plants
On this Sir Frederick Handley Page :
BASICS
Common names:
False goat ’s byssus , false spirea , florist ’s spirea
Plant type:
An herbaceous perennial that spreads via hugger-mugger rootstalk .
Zones:
3 - 9 depend on variety
Exposure:
Best in fond shade to shade off
Bloom time:
Astilbes are typically classified as early on , mid , or late season bloomers , depending on the metal money and cultivar . Early flower varieties come out in spring , while belated bloomers concord off until July or August . Because the bloom times vary widely , you’re able to combine plants from each category for an ever - blooming garden from May through September .
Length of bloom:
4 to 6 week
Height:
8 inches to 4 foot
Characteristics:
Astilbes supply year - round interest , begin with their foliage in former saltation and ending with dry out feathery plumes and seedheads in winter . In between , these showy perennials are some of the best plants for summer color , expose delicately fragrant bottlebrush - regulate flower in colors roll from creamy white and soft pinko to recondite purpleness and crimson red . Astilbe flower clusters run in size of it from 6 inch to 2 feet in length , depending on the species or cultivar .
Even when not in flush , their fern - like leafage remains attractive all time of year and are often enhance by flavor of bronze or burgundy . Some have especially eye - catching foliage in shades such as bright Paris green , chocolate , and russet red .
Common types:
Hybrid astilbe ( Astilbe ×arendsii ): This is by far the magnanimous group of garden crossbreed and include more than a hundred varieties . Most are early - season bloomers , emerge in late outflow or early summer .
PLANTING ASTILBE
When to plant:
In spring after the threat of knockout hoar has passed , or in other - to - mid fall .
Where to plant:
Grow astilbe in fond shade to shade , tolerating filter out sun . However , they will grow well in full sunshine in northern zona . “ Their safe use , however , may be in abstemious shade , since they provide a bright spatter of colouration to banish gloom . ” In warm southern regions , industrial plant astilbes in fond to full shade to foreclose scorching of the leaves .
Soil:
All astilbes , even the more drouth - liberal varieties , favor cool , moist soil rich in constitutive topic . Keep the soil evenly dampish but not quaggy , specially during the winter when plants are hibernating . invalidate implant in intemperate clay ground and land site with short drain . If necessary , remediate the soil with compost or organic matter to meliorate structure and wet retention .
How to plant:
They can be grow from origin divisions , nursery - grown plants or seeds , but you ’ll have dependable succeeder planting division or potted plants because astilbe seeded player have a tendency to waste in the flat coat before they germinate . localize the crown of the plant about an inch below the territory aerofoil , and sports fan or spread out the origin to encourage new ascendant outgrowth . quad flora at least 16 inches apart to allow ample grow room for the attractive foliage .
ASTILBE CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Water and fertilizer requirements:
astilbe are athirst plants and heavy feeders during the growing time of year . Keep your plant well watered , especially during the estrus of the summer . A one - time software of atimed - release granular fertilizerbefore flowering start in spring should be enough to satisfy their appetite . Early - flowering astilbe change form buds in the fall for the next time of year ’s flowers , so fertilizing these plant again in October with a high - atomic number 7 plant food will facilitate to stimulate bud formation the next spring .
Mulching:
To facilitate keep soil moisture , keep them well mulched with leaf modeling , compost or another type of organic cloth . ( Learn about the besttypes of mulchto apply . ) If you notice that the beginning peak are rising above the soil , gently agitate them back into the land before top binding .
Dividing:
To keep astilbe plants vigorous , divide clumps every three or four age in other spring , using a sharp tongue to cut through the sound , fleshy roots . Separate the glob into three or four pieces , each with at least one eye .
Pruning:
Do n’t bother deadheading because your try will not encourage repeat blooming . Leave the flowers and seedheads to dry on the plant for winter interest , or cut the blossom headway when brisk to add height and texture to indoor arrangements . If the foliage shrivels and browns after a prolong period of drouth , it can be write out back to the ground to elevate regrowth of new leafage later in the season or the following spring .
Pests and problems:
seldom bothered by diseases or insects , including the peskygarden slugsthat typically nosh on plants grown in a moist surroundings .
Other:
cervid and rabbit resistive .
ASTILBE VARIETIES
exposure by : Proven winner
' Dark Side of the Moon'—Buy now from Proven WinnersAstilbe’Dark Side of the Moon '
Zones:4 - 9Height / spread:20 to 22 inch tall , 24 to 28 in wideBloom time of year : Mid to late summertime
Add a mite of drama to your garden with the ' Dark Side of the Moon ' astilbe . This honour - winning industrial plant sport rich cocoa brown foliage and vibrant rosy purple flowers . It ’s a bee - friendly pick that reject deer and rabbit , making it as practical as it is beautiful . Perfect for adding astuteness and contrast to any shade garden !
' Delft Lace'—Buy now from Proven WinnersAstilbe’Delft Lace '
Zones:4 - 9Height / spread:2 to 3 base tall , 2 feet wideBloom season : Early summer
silver blue - green leaves emerge in spring , pursue in summer by bright - ruby stems hold sprays of soft salmon - red flowers . finally , the lacy leafage turns rich Burgundy wine , with deep ruby germ panicles to exsert the time of year of involvement into winter .
' Bridal Veil’Astilbe japonica
Zones:4 - 9Height / spread:24 inches tall , 18 to 22 inches wideBloom time of year : Early summer
Simple and elegant , ‘ Bridal Veil ’ adorn the garden with frothy ivory white plumes that fade to creamy yellow . Beautiful planted on its own or mate with other colour . get a slap-up addition to amoonlight garden .
' Deutschland’Astilbe japonica’Deutschland '
Zones:4 - 9Height / spread:24 to 30 inch tall , 18 to 24 column inch wideBloom time of year : Early summer
cryptical magenta - reddish flower plumes add brilliant colour to shadowed areas . Bronze - red folio mature to disconsolate unripened . Use in shade borders , containers and great deal plantings . Blooms are long - lasting in cut flower arrangements .
' Mongomery'—Buy now from Proven WinnersAstilbehybrid
Zones:4 - 9Height / spread:20 to 24 column inch tall , 24 inches wideBloom time of year : Mid - summertime
' Little Vision in Pink'—Buy now from Proven WinnersAstilbe chinensis
Zones:4 - 9Height / spread:14 to 16 inch magniloquent and wideBloom season : Mid - summer
Fuzzy pink wine - pink flower spike complement the textured dark green leaf . This dwarf smorgasbord is suitable for containers , modest space , in aggregated plantings , or as border for borders and pathway .
' heighten and Shine’Astilbehybrid
Zones:4 - 9Height / spread:25 to 28 in tall , 12 to 18 inch wideBloom season : Mid - summertime
Feathery hot pinkish plumes are supported on tall tough stems that need no staking . plant are more sun and drought - large-minded than other astilbe . Use this striking variety to brighten up a umbrageous woodland borderline , in containers or wad plantings .
exposure by : Walters Gardens , Inc.
' Rheinland’Astilbe’Rheinland '
Zones:4 - 9Height / spread:1 - 1/2 to 2 feet tall and wideBloom time of year : Late spring to early summertime
One of the early to bloom , ' Rheinland ' often issue in late spring with feathery bright pink spires on cherry-red stems . The profoundly cut , glossy green leafage look good all season , often tinged with bronze when young .
exposure by : Rock Giguere / Millette Photomedia .
' Chocolate Shogun’Astilbe’Chocolate Shogun '
Zones:4 - 8Height / spread:2 feet tall , 1 to 1 - 1/2 feet tallBloom season : Early to midsummer
If you loveHeuchera‘Chocolate Ruffles ’ , you ’ll be equally enamored by this dark - leaved astilbe . Its similar chocolate - maroon leaf maintains its vividness throughout the summertime with clouds of pale pink flowers . More sun and drought tolerant than most .
Photo by : AliScha / Shutterstock .
' Fanal’Astilbe ×arendsii’Fanal '
Zones:3 - 8Height / spread:1 to 2 feet improbable and wideBloom time of year : early on to midsummer
‘ Fanal ' has been cultivated since 1933 , yet is still considered one of the near reddened choices , display dumbly pack plumes of deep crimson flowers hold above sepia - red foliage . The foliage sprain dark greenish with reddish overtone as the summertime progresses .
For a more drouth - tolerant alternative with a similar look , try’Chantilly Lace ' Tragopogon pratensis . Hardy in Zones 3 - 7 , for part shade to shadiness locations , and originate to 32 inch .
COMPANION PLANTS
Using in the garden:
Good fellow traveller for astilbes include other moisture - loving , shade - tolerant plants such as small ferns , hostas , lady ’s mantle ( Alchemilla mollis ) , Siberianiris(Iris sibirica ) , lungwort ( Pulmonaria ) Siberian Anchusa officinalis ( Brunnera macrophylla ) , and variegated Solomon ’s seal ( Polygonatum odoratum’Variegatum ' ) .
