Monrovia : Learn

Showy perennial for beautiful summer color in shady areas. Tall, feathery blooms of clear pink valued for light, airy quality, rise above foliage. Forms graceful border, great in massed plantings. Partial to full shade. Moderate, mounding grower to 2 feet tall. Division.

Performance and Requirements

Light needs: Partial to full shade

Watering Needs: Needs wet or constantly moist soil.

Pruning Time: No Value

Growth Rate: Moderate Growing

Design Information

Companion Plants

SNOWDROP ANEMONE
Anemone sylvestris

VARIEGATED COMMON PERIWINKLE
Vinca minor 'Variegata'

MARIES BALLOON FLOWER
Platycodon grandiflorus mariesii

(Click on image for more information. New window will open.)

Companion Plants (Description): Snatch up some springtime bloomers such as the white Snowdrop Windflower (Anemone sylvestris), Variegated Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor `Variegata`) and the blue star-like Maries Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus mariesii) to interplant en masse with this Astilbe`s pink plumes, thus creating a gracefully undulating border.

Design Styles: Plant a large cluster of this Astilbe in a favorite shady location to show off a summertime display of clear pink, feathery plumes. Select companions that are less than two feet tall and are spreading or clumping in form to avoid competing with the erect form of the Rheinland Astilbe. Also consider plants that may bloom in late summer to provide added color as this Astilbe fades.

Care Information

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. For a neat appearance, remove old foliage before new leaves emerge. Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring.

Background Information

History: The Astilbe x arendsii hybrids were developed by and named for H. A. Arends, a 20th century Germ,an nurseryman. The hybrids are derived primarily from A. chinensis var. Davidii, with a natural range that spans central China and Mongolia. Also factoring into these hybrids to a far lesser extent are A. simplicifolia, A. japonica, and A. thunbergii. Its natural range spans central China and Mongolia.

Lore: Astilbe chinensis var Davidii is named for Pere Armand David, a Jesuit missionary in China credited with bringing a large number of new plants to the west via Jardin des Plantes in France.

Botanical Pronunciation: a-STIL-bee ah-RENDZ-ee-ee

Catalog Description: Showy perennial for beautiful summer color in shady areas. Tall, feathery blooms of clear pink valued for light, airy quality, rise above foliage. Forms graceful border, great in massed plantings. Partial to full shade. Moderate, mounding grower to 2 feet tall. Division.