It can be difficult to find a beautiful plant tolerant of shade. As someone with personal experience in a shady gardens, I know it is easy to tire of hostas, ferns, and more hostas. Astilbe is a favorite plant because it has full cloud-like blooms that bring loads of color to a shade garden. When Emily and I saw 'Rise and Shine', we jinxed each other saying 'ooh'. The way the pinks, reds, and purples cascade together creates an energizing visual effect. The blooms, that are less like flowers and cloud formations or geometric works of art, appear in early to midsummer and persist to near fall. In a shade garden this remarkable flower shines bringing striking texture and color that is supported by dark, complex multi-lobe foliage, which helps the flower color pop. In addition to being beautiful, the flowers are also fragrant and quite pollinator friendly.

General care for any tree or shrub is easy, but like any living thing will require your attention. Please educate yourself and follow these simple rules.

Astilbe 'Rise and Shine' - Hybrid Astilbe

Astilbe is most productive in rich soil high in organic matter and dappled sunlight. They can grown in full shade, but will not bloom prolifically. In a shady garden they can be successful if placed in an area that receives a periodic patches of sunlight through the day. Although they are relatively easy to grow, Astilbes can be water hogs. They are plants that must have consistently moist soil and grow well in areas that support ferns and hostas, where sunlight is present, but doesn't throughly dry the soil out. For this reason, they benefit greatly from mulching and regular organic matter added to the soil. Fertilization is best done with a slow release fertilizer spread in late February and prior to fertilization mulch or compost should be refreshed.