Astilbe, a beautiful perennial: landscaping ideas

Astilbe is a perennial plant that calls mountain terrain, ravines, and forests of Asia and North America home. There are a great many different species for us to use in landscaping, resulting from patient crossbreeding giving rise to hundreds of hybrids.

Different hybrids show off their bloom at various times, usually from June through August. They’re undeniably a beautiful sight with their fluffy flower plumes. Colors are usually in shades of red, white, pink, and cream.

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They come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 6 inches (15 cm) to 6.5 feet (2 meters). On top of that, hybrids now show off a diverse range of leaf forms in shades of green and copper.

Planting spot and use in water gardens

Astilbe thrives in direct sunlight. However, leaves might get a little sunburned and crinkly in intense heat. Thus, it’s best to find spots with dappled sunlight, or garden areas that only get about three to four hours of sun a day. Part shade and shade is more to their liking.

Some mistakenly market Astilbe as water plants.

• Choose a planting spot that stays constantly moist but isn’t submerged.
• But astilbe is nonetheless an excellent pond-side plant: it can withstand both prolonged floods and dry spells as water levels ebb and flow in natural ponds. So, in short, they’re great for thriving along moist borders, well-drained bog gardens, and wet gardens.

Best soil type for astilbe

These plants need a planting mix that’s 6 inches (15 cm) to a foot (30 cm) deep, with ample space to the side to spread out in large clumps.

• Plant each one about 16 inches from the next (40 cm).
• Astilbe has a soft spot for nutrient-rich soil.
• They also love good mulch. Helps keep the soil nice and wet.

Pairing astilbe with other plants

Consider planting clusters of astilbe together with some of the plants listed below. Odd-numbered groups like three, five, or seven, of astilbe combined with a mix of species and hybrids will look wonderful!

These plants in particular were handpicked for their height differences, flower colors, and foliage.

Here’s a tip: position the plants where you plan to plant them, move them around, swap them out, and once everything looks just right, dig in!

Plants that match very well with astilbe

• Hosta (various cultivars)
• Primula florindae
• Iris ensata (various cultivars)
• Iris sibirica (various cultivars)
• Ferns (various species and cultivars)
• Carex muskingumensis
• Carex elata (‘Aurea’)