Types and varieties of astilba

In summer, in many garden plots, you can see light snow-white, carmine-red, lilac, pink clouds of flowers with delicate beautiful foliage. This is astilba blooming. The plant got its name because of the shiny leaves (translated from the Greek "a" - "very" and "stilbe" - "shine"). Astilba belongs to the saxifrage family.

Astilba has panicle inflorescences composed of small flowers with long or small petals. Inflorescences are elongated, short, densely filled, openwork. According to the shape of the inflorescences, all astilbe can be divided into 4 groups.

1. Pyramidal shape - lateral petioles of inflorescences grow from the flower stem at right angles. The higher these branches are, the shorter they are. The whole inflorescence looks like a pyramid.
2. Rhombic shape - looks like the previous one, but the lateral petioles are located at an acute angle and the entire inflorescence looks like a rhombus.
3. Paniculate form - there are a lot of lateral inflorescences, they are located at an acute angle and decrease towards the crown.
4. Drooping form - as the name implies, the inflorescence twigs hang down.

The genus Astilbe includes, according to various sources, from 18 to 45 species. Under natural conditions, it grows in Japan, North America, Asia, in Russia in the Far East.

Includes tall varieties (up to 1 m). The leaves are dark green, covered along the edges and veins with reddish villi. 30-centimeter panicle inflorescences are very dense, calm purple, pinkish or snow-white tones. The flowering period is from June to August.

The most popular varieties.

• "Color Flash Lime" - especially attractive with leaves that change color throughout the season. At first, they are lemon-yellow with a green border, then, during flowering, they turn green, and then, remaining yellow-green in the center, the edges of the leaves are painted in crimson tones. This variety blooms in a pale lilac color.
• "Pumila" - a low shrub that grows up to half a meter. Green leaves with jagged edges. It blooms with lavender panicles that fade in the sun. Flowering lasts a very long time: from mid-summer to mid-September. This astilba grows very strongly, displacing weeds. It does not require special care.
• "Vision inferno" - bush 80 cm high. The leaves are rich green, shiny. Inflorescences of an unusual pinkish-salmon color with a pearlescent tint. When flowering, they become greenish. The plant is frost-resistant - it can withstand temperatures up to -35 degrees.
• "Maggie Daley" - late flowering (August-September) variety with light green leaves in spring and dark green in summer. The height of the bush is 70 cm. Dark deep pink flowers are collected in high panicles.
• "Spotlight" - a very showy shrub with chocolate-purple leaves. The contrast is created by delicate creamy delicate panicle inflorescences. The plant is medium-sized (60 cm), blooms in the second half of summer.

Bushes from 50 cm to 1m in height. Leaves are oval green toothed. The inflorescences are drooping, of different shades.

• "Straussenfeber" - Bushes are powerful, high (up to 1 meter). It is decorative not only for its flowing coral inflorescences, but also for its delicate dark green foliage. Blooms from mid to late summer. Grows well in partial shade.
• "Professor Van der Wilen" - reaches 120 cm. The leaves are finely toothed green, in spring with gray, and in summer with a brown tint. Flower clusters drooping, loose, white. This astilba is unpretentious.

The varieties of this astilbe are undeservedly rare in gardens. Despite its small stature (from 20 cm to half a meter), the bushes of common-leaved astilbe are very decorative. Foliage color varies from golden, red to dark green, almost black. Inflorescences are loose, airy, of different shades. This astilba feels very good in shady areas near water bodies. Does not tolerate bright sun, dry air.

• "Bronze elegance" - the variety is unusually beautiful with three-lobed leaves, bronze-green leaves and tall inflorescences. The bush itself is not high (30 cm), and its peduncles reach 60 cm. The color of the bristles is also unusual. They shimmer with all shades of pink: from salmon yellow to carmine pink.
• "Aphrodite" - low bushes (up to 40 cm) with light green foliage. Compact, suitable for growing in containers. The flowers are purple, the racemes are loose, erect.
• Key West - a low bush that grows up to half a meter in height. Young, glossy ruby-colored foliage, then becomes deep green with dark edging around the edges. Inflorescences are pale pink, last from July to September.
• "White Sensation" - a low lush bush, characterized by extraordinary snow-white dense inflorescences. Blooms throughout July. The decorative effect is best preserved in diffused lighting.

They are rarely grown in garden plots due to the exacting conditions of detention. Plants grow up to 80 cm. Peduncles are erect, large, bright saturated shades.

• "Diamond" - tall herbaceous bush up to 100 cm tall. The leaves are green with a brown edging, unlike most astilbes, they do not shine. The flowers are snow-white, collected in high spectacular brushes. Blooms from early July to late summer.
• "Sister Teresa" - a short bush (50 cm) blooming with fragrant pale pink flowers. Leaves of rich green color turn pale in summer.
• "America" - astilbe 70 cm high. Leaves are light green. Panicle inflorescences are high, dense, pale lilac in color. Blooms all summer. Unpretentious, withstands very low temperatures.
• Etna - medium-sized shrub. In spring, its leaves are red, and by summer they turn green. Inflorescences of dark red color are collected in fluffy panicles. Blooms all summer.
• "Anita Pfeiffer" - bright pink inflorescences against a dark emerald background of foliage make this variety unique. The bush grows up to 80-100 cm. It blooms throughout July.
• "Brautschleier" - a sprawling tall bush up to 100 cm. The leaves are green, the flowers of a white-cream shade are collected in large loose panicles. The plant is very decorative.
• "Flamingo" - rather tall (80 cm) compact bush with very dark shiny leaves. The inflorescences are drooping, bright pink. This astilba is distinguished by the fact that it feels great even in the shade.
• "Cappuccino" Is a popular variety. The leaves are very dark, sometimes with a chocolate tint. On burgundy stems, contrasting snow-white inflorescences. Prefers to grow in diffused shade.
• "Ice cream" - medium-sized plant. Leaves are green, delicate, finely toothed. Inflorescences airy lilac shade on burgundy stems. This astilba grows well both in the sun and in partial shade. Unpretentious.
• "Hyacinth" - high astilbe. It grows up to 90 cm. Leaves are light green with dark edging. Lush inflorescences are pink-purple, light. Blooms in the second decade of summer.

Includes undersized varieties with shiny dark green leaves with inflorescences of various shades. Shrubs do not grow well in an open, sunny place and do not tolerate drought.

• Montgomery - decorative low shrub with green foliage with a reddish tint. Peduncles are tall, densely covered with burgundy-red flowers. The flowering period is July-August.
• "Chocolate shogun" Is a very showy plant. This astilbe is decorative due to its unusually colored chocolate-colored foliage with a purple sheen. Depending on the planting site, the leaves can also acquire a burgundy hue. Inflorescences are low, friable, pale pink in color.
• Bonn - a half-meter shrub with bright green shiny leaves. It blooms in the second half of summer with red-pink panicle inflorescences. Winters well, withstanding very low temperatures.
• Peach Blossom Is a popular medium-sized variety. Leaves are light green with a brown border around the edges. Blooms in mid-summer. At first, the inflorescences are delicate light peach, then they turn pink. This variety is so unpretentious that it can grow and bloom in an open, sunny area and even tolerates a short-term drought.
• "Red sentinel" - high (up to 1 m) bush. The leaves are dark green with a burgundy tint. Panicle inflorescences of deep dark red color on burgundy stems, very attractive. Red sentinel is especially decorative in partial shade.

Other hybrid varieties and groups are worth mentioning.

• "Unique carmine" - undersized astilbe (reaches half a meter). Fine-toothed green leaves. Peduncles are lush rhomboid, flowers are carmine-pink. The shrub blooms in the first half of summer.
• "Mighty Chocolate Cherry" - powerful bushes reaching 120 centimeters. The foliage of this astilba is decorative. It has a chocolate greenish color with shades of red. Peduncles are densely covered with numerous beet-red flowers. Mighty Cherry Chocolates will bloom again when pruned.
• "Unique salmon" - beautiful undersized astilbe (40 cm). Leaves are glossy green. Inflorescences are densely filled with pale salmon color, have a conical shape. The flowering period is very long for astilbe - about two months.
• "Delf lace" - a very decorative medium-sized (80 cm) variety. Leaves are strongly dissected with a slightly corrugated edge, green with a brown border. The inflorescences are very dense, paniculate, the tops with buds are salmon-red, and the blossoming flowers are pink. This astilba loves a sunny location.
• "Donna" attractive white inflorescences with a shade of ivory with a weak pleasant aroma. Blooms in the first half of summer. Bushes grow up to 70 cm.
• "Nemo" - rather tall shrub (up to 1 m). Leaves are small, light green with small denticles at the edges. The inflorescences are lilac, dense. Undemanding to the conditions of detention.

There is a classification of astilbes by size.

Includes varieties of different types that do not grow taller than 30 cm, different in color of leaves and inflorescences.

• "Lilliputian" - bushes 20-25 cm high. The leaves are dark malachite, corrugated, covered with villi. Panicles of inflorescences are salmon-pink. Flowering time - July-August. It is advisable to cover for the winter in order to avoid freezing of flower buds.
• "Curly Perkeo" - Japanese fringed miniature astilba, not exceeding a height of 30 cm. Leaves are pinnately dissected, delicate, rich green. In the spring they acquire a bronze tint. It blooms for about 3 weeks in mid to late summer with pale pink flowers.

As the name suggests, this group includes tall shrubs reaching 1.5-2 meters in height, belonging to different species, varied in shape and color of leaves and inflorescences.

• "Garnet" - one of the most popular high varieties of Astilbe Arends. Spectacular tall shrub, growing up to two meters with good care, with very dark shiny leaves and bright pink-red large pyramidal inflorescences. The rich color of the leaves and flowers is eye-catching.
• "Pink ostrich feather" - late flowering variety. Sprawling bushes, up to 1 m.Inflorescences are long (up to one and a half meters), lush, drooping, composed of small pink flowers. This astilba blooms from late summer to mid-autumn.

These include astilbe more than half a meter high and less than 100 cm.

• "Washington" - grade of Astilba Arends. The bush is 80 cm high and 50 cm wide. The leaves are rich emerald green, large toothed. On this astilbe there are flowers of several shades at the same time. The blooming ones have a greenish color, then they are painted in snow-white, the fading ones become creamy beige. Flowering time is June-July. It withers in sunny places. The shrub can withstand very low temperatures without shelter for the winter.
• "Glitter" - Japanese astilbe, growing up to 80 cm. Foliage of a delicate green shade, openwork. Very decorative due to its flowers, painted in two colors: the petals are pale pink, the middle is red-pink. Blooms for a short time: in the middle of summer for two weeks.
• "Big band" - compact bush 85 cm high. The foliage is brown-green, corrugated. Blooms in July-August with carmine-pink stuffed inflorescences.

Basically, all Astilbes are quite unpretentious. With the exception of some varieties, all of these plants grow and bloom better in slightly shaded areas than in bright sun.

All Astilbes love humid air and do not tolerate drought. With insufficient watering, the bushes will dry out and will not recover. But in damp areas, astilba also does not need to be planted. Due to stagnant water, the roots can rot.

If you have a shady garden, feel free to choose tall varieties blooming with snow-white, purple, lilac flowers - they will remain decorative throughout the season. If the site is sunny, arrange a reservoir and plant medium-sized and dwarf varieties of astilba with inflorescences that do not fade in bright light and decorative leaves near it.

For an overview of the different types of astilbe, see below.