Skip to content
Perennial · Saxifragaceae Draft — unreviewed

Astilbe

Astilbe × arendsii

Also called astilbe, false spirea.

Ferny shade perennial with feathery plumes in pink, red, white or lavender in early summer.

Size over time

Typical landscape size 0.5–0.9 m (1–3 ft) tall and 0.5–0.6 m (1–2 ft) wide; medium growth, about 3 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.25) from the #1 install size.

00.511.52mPlanting0.3 × 0.3 mYear 30.5 × 0.4 mYear 100.6 × 0.5 mMature0.7 × 0.5 m

Bloom

Pink flowers, Jun–Jul (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).

Bloom calendar: months each plant is in bloom
PlantJFMAMJJASOND
Astilbe : Jun–Jul

Design notes

  • Leaves crisp brown in dry soil or afternoon sun.
  • Leave plumes for winter interest.

Regions

Native range: Garden hybrid of East Asian species.

Not recorded as native to any of the three pilot regions.

Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.

Related plants

Common yarrow
Achillea millefolium · Perennial · 0.5–0.9 m (1–3 ft)
Sunset hyssop
Agastache rupestris · Perennial · 0.5–0.8 m (1–2 ft)
Arkansas blue star
Amsonia hubrichtii · Perennial · 0.6–0.9 m (2–3 ft)
Eastern red columbine
Aquilegia canadensis · Perennial · 0.3–0.6 m (1–2 ft)
Swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata · Perennial · 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft)
Butterfly weed
Asclepias tuberosa · Perennial · 0.5–0.8 m (1–2 ft)

Plan with Astilbe

Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.

Start designing Try a sample garden