Growing Astilbe
Growing Astilbe in the shade garden is a no-brainer. Thats where it loves to grow and thrives.
How To Grow
Astilbe thrive in shady gardens but will take sunshine if they are well watered. This is not a plant of the hot, dry, sunny garden or the dry shade garden.
The main quality for success with this plant is dampish soils.
Do not grow underwater the crowns require good drainage and not standing water.
When happy, this is a fast spreading plant and will require regular edging to keep it within bounds. In a previous shade garden, I considered it a weed and rigorously edged it twice a year.
Propagation
While Astilbe will start from seed, it is much easier to divide this plant in early spring or fall. Division also means your new plant will be identical to the parent plant.
Simply dig off a chunk of the mother plant with a shovel and move to a new section of the garden. Ensure you get some new growth with the division and the plant will move successfully.
Hardiness
This plant is hardy down into a USDA zone 3.
Varieties To Look For
Amethyst deep lavender
Bressingham Beauty vibrant, deep pink
Fanal older variety bronze leaves in spring then green, red plumes
Flamingo taller variety with flamingo-pink flowers
Peaches and Cream pale pink shading to white, mid-summer bloomer
Snowdrift a pure white bloom on top of compact leaves
Edens Odysseus soft pink flower with lacy bronze-reddish leaves
Jump and Jive a magenta pink flower over green compact foliage
Peach Blossom soft peach-pink flowers
Sprite shell pink flowers over bronze leaves. Perennial Plant of the Year
Milk and Honey white and pink blend, tolerates drier soil than most
Astilbe chinensis var pumila, a dwarf with lavender-rose flowers
There are quite a few newer varieties coming onto the market regularly as the breeders continue their work. The above are some of the better growing plants but I note that it is difficult to go wrong with this plant.
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