Astilbe provides a great deal of shade as it grows with an extremely dense foliage. It blooms in summer with feathery flowers that range in color from red and pink to white, peach and purple.
You will find the most flowers in the month of June and July. This plant can grow up to five feet in height and looks best when growing in groups. They can be used on the edges of your flower beds and also look extremely attractive growing in containers.
This plant is also called false spires. The leaves are fern-like and dark green. Some have bronze color leaves.
The foliage mounds to 2 feet and The flowers rise above the plant to a height of between twelve and eighteen inches and spread out between two and three feet wide.
These flowers for shade are heavy feeders. You will need to supplement with a fertilizer for acid loving plants in the Spring.
Moist, humus rich soil, on the acidic side will ensure a beautiful crop of long lasting colorful flowers, from Spring to Summer. Then the blooms will fade to a beautiful rust well into the Fall.
Astilbe Plants Propagation
The plants tend to propagate through the division of roots. As is common in these cases, this procedure should be carried out in early spring or fall. However, be cautioned that you must not do this less than three or four years apart.
It is also possible to grow astilbe seed of this variety. If you choose to do this, the best time for planting is in the early spring, indoors, with later transplanting to the location of your choice. You can also plant these when the weather has warmed the soil enough that they can survive.
They are easy to propagate. After one season dig it up and divide into sections with at least one eye per section and replant. You'll have plenty in no time at all.
Because they deplete the soil of nutrients, its important to amend the soil with compost, peat moss, shredded leaves and a balanced fertilizer. Keep them moist and don't let them be too wet in Winter.
How to Grow Astilbe Plants
These plants are exceedingly easy to culture and take care of, though they grow best in partial or full shade. The plants need an extremely rich soil with a high humus or peat content.
It is essential that the soil be soft, moist and well drained. As a matter of fact, the soil must be kept moist continuously for best effect.
Do not underestimate the point about the richness of soil. Not only must the soil be rich to start with, but you must add nitrogen rich fertilizers regularly.
If you can maintain this moist soil, rich in humus, and slightly acidic, it will ensure that your flowers are not only numerous and beautiful, but that they also last longer. Towards fall you will find that the color of the blooms fades into a beautiful rust color.
Of course, thee plants are known to take the nutrients from the soil, but generally most gardeners consider them worth the effort.
Do not allow any competition from weeds. You must mulch regularly to stop the growth and propagation of weeds. This will also help in retaining the moisture in the soil. Mulch adds to the fertility of the soil and this helps the growth of this plant.
Besides fertilizers, you can also reinforce the nutrients in the soil with compost and shredded leaves. This rich decaying matter is exactly what Astible plants need.
Important Tips on Astilbe Plants
There are a few tips you can use to make your garden look better. One of these is to plant different species of this plant that happen to have very different bloom times. By doing this you ensure that your garden retains colorful flowers all through the season.
Some species of these flowers, such as the purple Amethyst, for example, tend to bloom early. Other species that bloom early are the white Bridal Veil and the deep red Fanal.
Among these, put in a few species that bloom in the middle of the season, like the lilac Cattlea and the pink colored Bressingham Beauty.
Chinensis and Glut, on the other hand, have pink and red flowers and bloom very late in the season. Astible Gloria is a popular choice of the gardeners as well.
By an intelligent placement of these different species you can ensure that your garden not only looks beautiful, but that the flowers change their color from time to time all through the flowering season.
These plants must be put in from one to two feet apart, and you must place them in groups because this is how they appear most attractive.
These plants are hardy and survive cold winters well. Note however, that it is well to put down a layer of mulch, at least in places where temperatures drop steeply.
Some Photos of Astilbe Plants
"These are fun shade tolerant plants that just keep on giving."
There are a few tips you can use to make your garden look better. One of these is to plant different species of this plant that happen to have very different bloom times. By doing this you ensure that your garden retains colorful flowers all through the season. 
