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  • Astilbe spp.

Astilbe spp.

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Common names: False goat's beard, False spirea


Astilbes are grown for both their flowers and their foliage and are the ideal plants for a shade or woodland garden. They are easy to grow and care for and come in a variety of colours and sizes.  Astilbes are recognized by their tall, fluffy spires of flowers that tower above the frilly, fern-like foliage. They prefer light to moderate shade and soil that is free-draining, yet a little moist. If you notice the leaves curling inward, the soil is too dry. Astilbes will not tolerate drought.


Astilbes belong to the Saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae). They are extremely insect- and disease-resistant, but attractive to pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.


Astilbes look dramatic planted en masse. They usually bloom from June through summer in shades of white, pink, lilac, magenta, and red. Their leaves are comprised of serrated leaflets on compound leaves.  Astilbes spread via underground rhizomes.   They should be divided every three to four years to retain their vigour. There are many different varieties of astilbes. Compact ones may only grow 25 cemtimetres (10 inches) high, while others can have 1.2 metres (4 feet) flower spikes.


Astilbes were first found growing in the mountain ravine and woodland areas of China (A. chinensis) and Japan (A. japonica and A. thunbergii). In the late 19th and early 20th century, a German horticulturalist, Georg Adalbert Arends started breeding Astilbes. He took the known species and started crossing them to create new varieties. Through this work, he developed the named hybrid cultivars known as Astilbe x arendsii.  


In Greek, the name astilbe means 'without brilliance' and may allude to the fact that in some species the leaves are dull. 


A large display of Astilbes which were planted in 2019 can be found in Bed 35C next to Livingstone Lake.


Some of the cultivars in the Garden include:

Astilbe chinensis var. pumila

Astilbe chinensis 'Vision in Red'





Text and photos by Kumi Sutcliffe

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  • Home
  • Updates
    • What's New
    • Curator Updates
    • Garden Stories >
      • Garden Story Index
    • Self-Guided Tours
    • Walks & Talks >
      • Walks and Talks 2023
      • Walks and Talks 2022
      • Walks -Talks 2021 & Zoom Tips
    • PDFs of Updates, Tours, & Talks >
      • Self-guided Tours (PDF)
      • Gardener Walks (PDF)
  • Plant IDs
    • ID By Flower Color >
      • Red Flowers
      • Pink Flowers
      • Orange Flowers
      • Yellow Flowers
      • Green Flowers
      • Blue Flowers
      • Purple Flowers
      • White Flowers
    • ID By Type >
      • Annuals
      • Berries-Fruits-Nuts
      • Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes, Tubers >
        • Bulbs
        • Corms
        • Rhizomes
        • Tubers
      • Ferns
      • Grasses
      • Medicinal Plants
      • Native Plants
      • Perennials >
        • Peonies
        • Salvias
      • Rhododendrons >
        • Rhodendron Erica Notes
      • Shrubs >
        • Calycanthus
        • Hydrangeas >
          • Hydrangea Background
        • Peonies >
          • Peonies-Overview
        • Rhododendrons
        • Roses >
          • Rose Background
      • Trees >
        • Conifers >
          • Cypress
          • Firs
          • Pines
        • Deciduous Trees >
          • Dogwoods
          • Ginkgos
          • Magnolias
          • Witch Hazels
        • Native Trees
        • Tree of the Month
  • In the Garden
    • Map and Collection Lists
    • Art in the Garden >
      • Symposium & Exhibitions
    • Building and Grounds >
      • Bridges
      • Formal Rose Garden Hardscape and Art
      • Grotto Area & Black Garden
      • Korean Pavilion
      • Maze
    • Gardener Assignments
    • Collections >
      • Ash Collection
      • Camellia Collection
      • Rhododendron Walk
    • Gardens >
      • Gardens A-D >
        • Alma VanDusen Garden
        • Backyard Bird Garden
        • Bentall Garden
        • Black Garden
        • Canadian Heritage Garden >
          • Bees
          • Canadian Heritage Orchard
        • Cascadia Garden
        • Cherry Grove
        • Chilean Garden
      • Gardens E-H >
        • Eastern North America Garden
        • Fern Dell
        • Formal Rose Garden
        • Fragrance Garden
        • Heather Garden
        • Herb Garden
        • Heritage Rose Garden
      • Gardens I-P >
        • Laburnum Walk
        • Livingstone Lake
        • Meconopsis Dell
        • Meditation Garden
        • Mediterranean Garden
        • Ornamental Grasses
        • Perennial Garden
      • Gardens R-Z >
        • Rhododendron Walk
        • Sino-Himayalan Region
        • South African Garden
        • Southern Hemisphere
        • Stone Garden
        • Vegetable Garden
        • Woodland Garden
    • Garden History >
      • History photos
  • Science
    • Animals & Insects >
      • Birds
      • Butterflies and Moths
      • Insect Friends
      • Small Creatures
    • Buds
    • Colour and Vision
    • Dynamic Symmetry - Fibonacci Spirals
    • Flowers
    • Fruit
    • Germination
    • Habitats and Environments
    • Hormones
    • Leaves
    • Life on Earth
    • Light, Energy, and Rainbows
    • Plant Calendars
    • Pollination
    • Pollen
    • Roots
    • Scents
    • Seeds
    • Soil
    • Stems
    • Vascular Plants
    • Web of Interdependence
    • Weeds
  • Bloedel
  • Search
  • About
    • ERICA, ERICA'S TREE (and a short history of Guiding) - June 14, 2018
  • Contact