Astilbe or False Spirea
Astilbe
'Sprite is an astilbe that has a low, compact form with dark foliage and abundant
sprays of tiny, peachy-pink flowers. I planted my first couple of
Sprites in 1994 after I put in the patio. They did so well that the
following year I planted about half a dozen more. Now that the Frances
Williams Hosta (seen here on the right) is getting bigger, I've had to
move several of them to another part of the garden. Because of their
density and heavy flowering, I highly recommend this cultivar for the front
of a shady bed or border.
The first astilbes I ever bought were this one, 'Bridesmaid,' and another whose name is
lost for me, possibly 'Amethyst.' I ordered them from one of those discount catalogs that
said there would be three plants. What arrived were three bundles
of bare roots with five in each bundle. It seemed to take forever
for them to grow up and look decent. Last year I moved them to a
lower, moister spot and they last a little better without browning as much.
This astilbe is 'Peach Blossom.' I've planted it in the strip between the city sidewalk and the street under a norway maple. In spite of this location, they seem to grow fairly well. I water some, but not as religiously as I could. Stil, they manage to grow fairly well and flower.
The larger pink astilbes pictured here are an unknown selection that
I purchased as seedlings at the Dane County Farmer's Market. They
grew surprisingly fast and looked good most of the summer. Late in August,
though, they get sort of dry and the leaves brown quite a bit.
Overall I've had mixed results with astilbes and don't feel particularly inclined to add any more to my garden. The seem to be more particular about needing constantly moist soil than most of my other plants and that 's not something I can always provide. In the right conditions, however, I've seen some beautiful, robust plants.