Chinese Astilba is known for its decorative qualities and ability to grow well, being in a small shadow. It combines undemanding care and the ability to bloom luxuriously. If the gardener knows the features of different species and varieties, he will be able to choose the appropriate variety.
Astilba Chinese
This flower is known for magnificent blossoming and unpretentiousness in leaving. A large number of species and varieties have their own characteristics, allowing the gardener to choose a suitable variety.
Description of Chinese Astilbe
The homeland of the Chinese astilbe is Northeast China, Primorye, Amur Region and the southern part of the Khabarovsk Territory. Under natural conditions, this perennial plant can be found in deciduous forests.
Bloom
Astilba (in Latin "Astilbe") is a sprawling bush with flowers of pink, lilac or other shade, looks spectacular throughout the entire garden season.
For your information! This herbaceous plant belongs to the family Saxifrage. It has 40 species, which include about 400 varieties.
The plant was discovered by the Scottish botanist Lord Hamilton. The origin of the name in his edition is as follows: "A" means "denial", "stilbe" - "brilliance." He noticed that the petals of this flower have no shine.
Another name is false spirea. The fact is that these two plants are similar to each other, so this name gradually also took root.
The height of the plant can range from 15 to 200 cm. Small flowers are combined into inflorescences in the form of a panicle. Their length can be from 10 to 60 cm. Flowers can have a different color: pink, purple, red or white. They appear between June and August. When the flowering ends, in their place are formed boxes with seeds.
The leaves are large, openwork. They are located on the reddish cuttings and look very impressive. Leaves can be painted in burgundy, bronze or dark green.
Pink flowers
Growing conditions
This plant is known for its resistance to excessive moisture and shade.
Note! The distance between the bushes should be at least 30 cm for low-growing varieties and 50 cm for tall.
Before planting, the ground is carefully dug up, the remains of weeds are removed. At the same time, it is recommended to fertilize the soil with compost, peat or rotted manure.
When choosing a site there is no need for strong lighting. This plant grows well in the shade, but it should not be thick.
After planting, take care of mulching. This can be done using small pebbles, sawdust, straw and other similar materials. This will help to better retain moisture, to protect the flower from the growth of weeds next to it.
Important! When feeding, it is important to ensure that the plant receives a sufficient amount of potassium and phosphorus. You can make complex fertilizers and bone meal.
Astilba: varieties and types
Below is a description of the most popular varieties and species.
Pumila
The bush of this species is compact, its height is 50 cm. This astilbe is known for the duration of flowering, which begins in July and ends in September. This variety is not only beautiful, but also known for its unpretentiousness and ability to easily withstand drought. The flowers of astilbe of Chinese Pumila have a delicate pink tint. Sometimes they can have a pure purple color.
Astilba Vice Gloria
Milk and Honey
The flowering time of this species is July. It lasts for 30 days. The variety has delicate creamy white flowers. When the buds open completely, their color becomes pale pink. Panicles with flowers are up to 40 cm long.
For your information! The name ("milk and honey") arose in connection with the color of the flowers and the delicate sweetish smell that they spread.
Bushes are densely leafy. Their height can reach 1 m, and a diameter of half a meter. On the leaves of dark green color you can see a pattern resembling marble veins.
This species grows well in areas in the shade, and in those that are brightly lit by the sun.
Astilba Milk and Honi
Purkurtsa
This bush is different from other species in height. It can grow to a height of one and a half meters. At Asturba Purkurtsa, flowering occurs relatively late - from the second half of August to the end of September. This variety does not tolerate heat and drought, does not like intense sunlight. Therefore, when growing it is important to provide a quality drainage system and regular watering.
Visions In White
This species is hybrid. Astilba Vision In White has medium height bushes (40 to 70 cm). The variety is not spreading, the diameter of the bush does not exceed 30 cm. Dense inflorescences have a white color. The flowering period falls in the second half of summer.
Leaves densely dissected with a shiny surface. They have a dark green color with a bronze tint. This type is widely used for decoration of borders and flower beds. In the latter case, the astilbe is placed in the foreground.
Dauria
This is a tall plant, which can reach a height of 1 m. It has complex openwork leaves of a dark green color. Flowering begins in June and lasts until the end of July. Its duration is not more than 40 days. For this variety of astilbe, according to the description, loamy soils are well suited.
Flowers can have pink, white or lilac color. The variety prefers to grow in partial shade and is unpretentious to care.
Visions In Pink
This hybrid variety has beautiful dense inflorescences of a soft pink hue. Dissected smooth leaves of a dark green color. Flowering occurs from July to August. Astilba pink has bushes of compact size and medium height.
Astilba Pumila
Preple rhine
This species has powerful and large bright pink-lilac inflorescences. The time when they open is from June to July. The pyramidal bushes are compact in size. The leaves are complex pinnate with a shiny dark green surface.
Note! Astilba Purple Rhine is characterized by a high degree of winter hardiness.
Arends
This name arose thanks to the German botanist G. Arends, who, together with the French scientist A. Lemoile in the 20th century. Bred a group of popular varieties of astilbe, which will be described below.
Amethyst
Shrub reaches a height of one meter. This is a sprawling flower, its width can reach 50-70 cm. The inflorescence is long and narrow lilac or raspberry color. The flowering period of this plant is relatively short. The time when panicles bloom begins in the last days of June and lasts for 30 days. Astilba Amethyst prefers to grow in partial shade. The variety is known for high frost resistance.
Fan
This plant is known for its unpretentiousness. The variety was bred in 1930. The name translates as "light of a lighthouse." It is due to the fact that Astilba Fanal has bright scarlet inflorescences that attract attention.
The shrub grows to 60 cm. Astilba red loves the soil, which is well moistened, and the presence of shade.
Garnet
This shrub is sprawling with a dense crown of leaves. Astilba Pomegranate grows up to 70 cm. The leaves are dark green with a shiny surface. The plate has fine-toothed edges. Loamy, slightly acidic, fertile soil is suitable for the variety.
The bright red buds spread around the pleasant aroma. Flowering occurs in July - August.
Diamond
This variety is known for its decorative qualities. The life time of an astilbe Diamond is an average of 5-7 years. The height of the bush is 90 cm and the diameter is 40 cm.
Bright pink flowers do not exceed 0.5 cm in size. The time when they bloom lasts from June to September. During flowering, the astilbe Diamond emits a pleasant smell.
Planting a seedling
America
In this plant, bushes reach a height of 70 centimeters. Astilba America has high frost resistance. Light pink-purple inflorescences are collected in panicles of a rhombic shape. She has large, openwork leaves. Flowering time - from early June to late July. The variety is well suited for decorating places where there is a partial shade.
Vice Gloria
Shoots at the bush are thin and strong. The width of the bush is 50 cm, the height is not more than 75 cm. The leaves of the Weiss Gloria astilbe in early spring have a pale green color. In the middle of summer, they darken and become denser. Large diamond-shaped inflorescences contain a large number of small creamy white buds.
Note! Beginning in mid-July, astilba delights with its colors for three weeks.
Japanese
Based on this species, varieties that gained well-deserved popularity were developed. One of them is Astilba Montgomery. The height of this sprawling bush is 50-80 cm. Red-brown inflorescences have a rhomboid shape. The size of the bud does not exceed 5 mm, but a large number of them creates a feeling of density. The flowering time of this variety is from May to August.
These shrubs have unique beauty, and each species and variety has its own decorative features. Such a wide variety will allow each grower to choose the most suitable option for growing.
