Astilbe flower
Content:
The variety of shades and unusual shapes are the main reasons why the astilbe flower has become a central figure in the landscape design of many summer cottages. An ornamental plant is unpretentious, blooms for a long time and multiplies easily.
A bit of history
Under natural conditions, bright paniculate inflorescences are ubiquitous in the forests of the North American continent. They are also seen in the humid climate of the East. Astilba became a horticultural culture thanks to Lord Hamilton, who brought it to Europe in the 19th century.
Magnificent astilbe
The name of the flower is translated as "non-shiny", but this did not prevent him from immediately attracting attention to himself. Breeders became interested in Astilboy (the main enthusiasts are Emile Lemoine and Georg Arends).
The plant got to Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. Now in the summer cottages, a hybrid astilba is grown, causing mute delight among those around.
Despite the fact that the perennial culture came from the monsoon climate, it has adapted well in the middle zone of the former USSR. Due to its winter hardiness, astilbe has taken root in cooler regions (unless it is not in the Far North).
What does it look like
Astilba is a large herbaceous plant from the Kamnelomkovy family. It is cultivated to decorate flower beds and mixborders, and is also grown for cutting into bouquets.
Blooming astilba bush
In nature, there are several types of astilba that have common features, thanks to which the culture cannot be confused with any other.
Description
| Plant parts | Features of the |
| Stem | Erect, average height - 0.5-0.7 m, but it grows up to 2 m. |
| Sheets | Openwork, 2-3 separate, framed along the edge with a serrated-toothed edging. They retain their shiny dark green, bronze or burgundy color until the very frost. |
| Flowers | Numerous, small, which makes racemose panicles appear covered with fluff. Inflorescences from 10 to 60 cm long acquire a pyramidal, rhombic and other shape. |
| Rhizome | Woody, close to the soil surface. Every year it adds 5 cm and gives new stems in the spring. |
| Fetus | In the form of a box filled with microscopic seeds of a dark brown hue. |
Main varieties
In total, there are about 25 species of this plant in nature. In Russia, 3 representatives of culture are popular.
Types of astilbe
| Name | Description |
| Chinese | Reaches a height of 0.5-1.1 m. It is distinguished by weak branching. Large petiolate leaves are formed at the base of erect shoots. Above the stems, dark green, with a metallic sheen, the foliage decreases in size. The inflorescences located at the tops have a pyramidal shape, 30-60 cm long. The buds are painted in lilac or purple shades. |
| Japanese | A compact bush, growing up to 0.6-0.8 m. A silvery ornament is visible on the dark green shiny small leaf plates. The plant produces panicles of white, pink or bright red shades. Japanese Astilba blooms earlier than other species and even after the inflorescences dry out, it does not lose its attractive decorative effect. |
| Arends | Spreading meter shrub of spherical or pyramidal shape. Cirrus-dissected leaves of dark green color densely cover the stems.Long, racemose inflorescences with red, pink, lilac, white buds swing elegantly at the tops of the shoots. |
When and how astilba blooms
Each variety of culture has its own timing of the beginning of flowering. Much also depends on the region. For southerners, the bush can show buds in May. In the middle lane, astilbe is fragrant in July-August.
In most varieties, lush inflorescences form on the tops of the shoots in June. Corollas of the correct form are elongated petals framing low stamens. As the astilbe blooms, a heady aroma winds around it all day long. This lasts from 2 weeks to a month.
Japanese variety
Popular varieties
In the genus Astilbe, there are more than 200 unusual varieties. It is unrealistic to grow all of them in one area. Therefore, gardeners choose for themselves some of the brightest representatives of the culture.
Astilba varieties
| Name | Description |
| Astilba Burgundy Red | Under this name, a large number of varieties with a rich red tint of pyramid inflorescences are combined. The height of the bushes ranges from 0.5 to 0.7 m, the width reaches 40 cm due to the large branching of flexible stems. |
| Deutschland Astilba | A short hybrid bush of German selection is a real decoration of the garden. It has lush white inflorescences that gently envelop the reddish stems. |
| Peach blossom | This is also called astilba Peach Blossom for the salmon-pink shade of paniculate inflorescences that frame a bush up to 0.6 cm high. |
| Purpurkerce | The meter-long bush is distinguished by its graceful pyramidal shape. Astilba Purpurkerce has long candle inflorescences with a pinkish tint. |
| Bonn Astilba | A medium-sized bush decorated with brown-green carved leaves. Lush purple-pink panicles are fragrant July-August. |
| Washington astilba | The variety stands out for its dense white panicles that frame most of the stems. |
| Astilbe Delft Lace | Astilba Delft Lays is hard to miss in the garden - the plant stands out with richly bright burgundy panicles formed on the stems of the same shade. Glossy leaves also have a reddish edging. |
| Boomalda astilba | A dwarf with a height of 0.4-0.6 m is distinguished by a reddish-green leaf plate. The white petals of the inflorescences are decorated with a crimson border. |
| Mighty Сhocolade Сherry | The tall astilba bush Mighty Chocolate Cherry lives up to its name, thanks to its chocolate branches and cherry panicles. |
| Erica astilba | The average length of the bush is 90 cm, it is characterized by reddish-brown foliage, complementing the pale pink shade of rhombic inflorescences. |
| Anita Pfeiffer | Barely reaching a height of 90 cm, the Astilba bush Anita Pfeiffer blooms in July with small lilac-pink inflorescences. |
| Koln | A small hybrid grows up to 0.6 m. The compactness of the bush is characteristic of Astilbe Cologne, above which bright red inflorescences rise. |
| America | The stems of the plant are no more than 70 cm long, dotted with carved pale green leaves. In July, the bush is completely covered with a light pinkish downy. |
| Amethyst | Barely reaching 1 m in height, the bush has a spherical shape. Fluffy lilac panicles flaunt above the green leaves. |
| Hyacinth | From a distance, a tall bush during flowering becomes like an elegant Christmas tree, decorated with light lilac garlands of inflorescences. Juicy green leaves have a brownish edging along the edge. |
| Gloria Weiss | A semi-shrub with a spherical cap of dark glossy leaves barely reaches a height of 1 m. For Glorias, light cream or white shades of inflorescences are characteristic. |
| Diamond | The variety is also called white astilba because of its beautiful wide panicles from 14 to 20 cm wide. Large leaves of a light green hue serve as a background for them. |
| Sister Teresa | Rhombic wide inflorescences have a delicate creamy color and a light aroma. Sister is characterized by a change in the shade of the foliage: from dark green at the beginning of the season to light by the end of summer. |
| Red Charm | A meter-long bush throws out rare long pinkish-red inflorescences on the tops of the stems of the same shade. |
| Look at me | Summer residents call the bush in a simple way - "Luka". The dwarf has large creamy pink panicles on red stems that go well with the delicate greenery. |
Open ground transplant
Having purchased a seedling, a perennial can be immediately planted in open ground, where it develops well for 10 years. Despite the unpretentiousness of the plant, they take into account the specifics of planting.
Composition with hosts
Seat selection
Hybrids are cultivated exclusively on loose fertile soils with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.
The plant prefers shady areas. Only in the northern regions, where the sun is not so hot even in summer, is astilba planted in an open area.
Step-by-step planting process
- The pits are made small - up to 30 cm deep.
- A complex fertilizer (30 g) mixed with bone meal (2 grains) is poured at the bottom.
- A layer of humus is placed on top.
- The well is moistened and astilba is planted in the center, sprinkling the rhizome with earth.
If the flower bed is formed from several bushes, maintain a distance of 0.5 m for tall ones and 0.3 for low ones.
Astilba transplant
Reproduction of astilba
In the southern regions, preference is given to reproduction by seeds, simply by scattering them over the surface of the soil. In cooler areas, cuttings and cuttings are more popular.
Cuttings
The procedure is carried out in the spring, when the recovery buds begin to grow. They are carefully cut off along with a piece of rhizome.
The shoots are placed in a pot of peat and gravel (proportion 3: 1) and covered with plastic wrap, which is removed after rooting. The seedlings are transferred to the flower bed in the spring of the next season.
Astilbe cuttings
By dividing the bush
This method is more familiar and less laborious:
- the bush chosen for reproduction is dug up in the spring;
- cut off all foliage;
- divide so that 3-5 kidneys remain on each division;
- remove dead rhizome.
Parts of the bush are immediately planted in a flower bed at a distance of 30 cm from each other. While rooting is in progress, the plants are watered abundantly.
If you divide the bush in early March, by August you can admire the blooming astilba.
Basic care
The culture does not impose special requirements for agricultural technology. Weeding and loosening are carried out as needed.
Watering
The culture does not tolerate drought. Carrying out care, astilba is watered as often as possible, without waiting for the earth to dry, otherwise the leaves of the bush will curl and curl, the inflorescences will fall off ahead of time.
Top dressing
Bushes need fertilizers all the time. Their composition depends on the period of the plant's life:
- in the spring, nitrogen feeding predominates to build up the mass;
- immediately before flowering, increase the dose of potassium and phosphorus.
Astilba is responsive to slow-acting organic fertilizers that are introduced into the soil during digging.
During flowering
Plants need increased watering. It is carried out 2 times a day: in the morning and before sunset. This contributes to the correct formation of inflorescences.
During the rest period
As soon as the astilbe fades, the dried panicles are cut off. The last dressing is carried out by adding 20 g of superphosphate under each bush.
Preparing for winter
Despite the cold resistance of the perennial, there is a risk of freezing of the renewal buds. To preserve them, in the fall, dead stems are cut at the root, the soil above the bush is covered with a thick layer of mulch and insulation.
Preparing for winter
Diseases and pests
Large-scale pest control is not carried out - insects do not annoy the culture. If nematodes or pennits appear on the bush, they are removed mechanically or the plants are sprayed with Aktara, Karbaphos. The soil is cultivated with Fitoverm.
Astilba also does not need special treatment. Her diseases are associated with a violation of the main regimes. It is enough to fix them, and the bush will return to normal. Although astilba diseases can also be provoked by insects, if they are not removed from the flower bed in time.
The culture is easy to grow and easy to care for. But the design astilba exceeds all expectations.
