Astilbe is a knockout plant, thanks to its ornamental, fern-like bronze-and-green foliage and its feathery plumed blossoms that look good in season and when dried for winter interest. Even if astilbes never bloomed, the healthy foliage of these plants adds wonderful texture and color to a garden. In spring, new foliage often emerges bright green with blushes of bronze. Some varieties hold that color all year long, and others offer deep chocolate/burgundy foliage. These finely textured mounds of foliage stay compact with no training needed. Come summer, they're topped with fantastic feathery spikes of tiny flowers in shades of pinks, reds, purples, and whites.

Where to Plant Astilbe

This showy garden perennial produces spikes of beautiful flowers that enliven the garden and add texture to flower arrangements in spring and summer. Hardy in USDA Zones 4-8, it grows best in partial shade, although it tolerates sun as long as it is kept moist.

How and When to Plant Astilbe

Plant astilbe early in the spring in well-drained soil with added compost and a general-purpose granular fertilizer. The cool, moist soil prompts the plant to develop a robust root system.

Astilbe Care Tips

Light

When it comes to light, astilbes are versatile. Depending on the variety, they can take anything from full sun to almost full shade, but partial shade is their preference. In full sun, astilbes must receive adequate water throughout the growing season.

Soil and Water

Astilbes are fairly easy-to-grow plants, with one main stipulation: they need adequate water. They like consistently moist soils, and they'll suffer without it. So be sure to plant in well-drained soils with lots of organic matter. Amending the soil with additional compost can help retain water and keep these moisture-loving plants happy. If the soil dries out too much, the leaves on your astilbes will begin to brown and curl.

Fertilizer

Before planting, rake a general-purpose granular fertilizer, such as 5-10-5, into the soil. The plant needs phosphorus to bloom. After the plants are established, an annual application of the same fertilizer is all the plants need.

How to Propagate Astilbe

Division is the most efficient way to propagate astilbe. These plants grow from rhizomes. In the late fall, dig around the edge of the plant to reveal the rhizomes. Use your hands to gently pull some of the rhizomes away from the main portion of the root structure, being careful to capture the "eyes" the rhizomes grow from. After preparing a new location with loose, well-draining soil and compost, plant the new astilbe directly in the garden. You'll see new growth in the spring.

Astilbe can be grown from seed, but the process takes much longer, and you aren't guaranteed a new plant identical to the parent.