One of the most dramatic flowers as a backdrop to any garden or yard is the astilbe. You may or may not have heard of this plant, but surely you have seen it near the edge of a forest or somewhere else. At first glance, you might think it is beebalm or a butterfly bush, but the pyramidal conic shape should give this plant away. There are varieties of this that some call the false spirea or the false goat’s beard.
Should you choose to grow this tall growing plant, one thing, you should know it that astilbe comes in a few colours. The four most common colours are red, white, hot pink, and lavender purple. There are other variations, but unless you are purchasing one that is bloomed, you may not want to trust the picture that comes with the plant being sold to you. Often this a ploy to sell the most common colours since they are the most cultivated in North America. You can also order or buy the seeds and start them indoors.
Astilbe does well in fertile, loose soil. If you are starting from seed, you may want to use either Scott’s or Miracle Grow’s seed starting soil. Adding extra peat moss will help in starting the seeds. A trick in starting most seedlings is to soak them overnight, preferably 24 hours, before placing in the soil. Whether you start the seeds indoors or outside do not plant them any deeper than 1/4 of an inch into the dirt, using root stimulator sparingly will also get a jump on germination time.
When the seedlings are about an inch to two inches tall, you will need to separate them so that you are not overcrowding them. At this point, you can plant them the recommended distance apart from each other, which usually is within 16 to 30 inches of each other. The variety you are planting makes much difference in spacing. Astilbe can take off quite well as it is also a shade loving plant. Under full sun, it may be slightly stunted in growth. Most gardeners either plant astilbe in partial shade to whole shaded areas.
As mentioned earlier, astilbe makes a beautiful backdrop to a garden or yard. Say you have those prickly and bothersome holly bushes that you are so tired of trimming or trying to walk around. Don’t trash them. Offer them to someone, and let them dig them up. The foliage on astilbe is just as spectacular as the flower. After your bushes are gone, go in and cultivate the soil with extra peat moss, and to be extra sprinkle on some garden food and mix it in with the earth. Plant your astilbe, and soon you shall have a captivating yard.
Flower gardens are enunciated as these astilbes grow in behind them. Many people mix varying plants with astilbe. A stairstep effect with different style growing plants can take one’s breath away. An example of this would be having alyssum as the front border and hosta in between the two. Sure the leaves grow out differently, but they are not all stalky plants like the astilbe. Astilbes will re-seed themselves and grow back year after year.
You will notice over a few years that you will need to either cut out some astilbes or replant the extras elsewhere. Selling the extra would pay for the water you use in keeping the soil moist for them. They do like their moisture. Try to keep them out of the direct hot sun. You might try your hand at making a canopy that you can slide out over them if you planted them in direct sun.
Astilbe is a fast-growing plant that can take over like alyssum. You need to become familiar with what the seedlings look like so that you don’t end up with your forest. Then again, you may be the type to welcome them into your new garden. Should you master the art of raising astilbe, you will find that you can have them bloom into the fall season. Early spring is the best time to clear away the dead or dying parts of the plant.
The gardens you grow will come to life with astilbe as a background drop to them. You may just want to grow astilbe after you see how well it becomes from your tender care. A misting system is not required for these plants, but a soaker hose is something they would greatly appreciate. Have fun with these beautiful fast-growing plants. Astilbe will also bring in the butterflies and hummingbirds.