How to Grow Astilbe Perennial Groundcover

Astilbe is an herbaceous perennial groundcover. This shade loving plant is easy to grow and looks great when planted with hostas, lily of the valley, ladies mantle, and ferns and other shade loving plants. The astilbe plant blooms in early summer for USDA growing zones 4-8. The flower is light and feathery in its appearance and is attractive all season long. Here are some tips on to grow astilbe perennial groundcover.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shade garden
• Nursery grown plants or bare root
• Shovel
• Compost or manure
• Mulch
• All-purpose water based fertilizer
• Hose

1. 
   Astilbe flower

   Select a planting site that features shade with early morning sun. Drainage of soil is necessary as well as rich soil. If your soil has a clay texture, add 2-3 inches of compost or manure to your soil. The compost or manure will enrich your soil and aid in better root development.

2. 
   Astilbe grown with hostas

   Plant the astilbe in the back of the garden, as these plants can grow up to four feet tall. Mass plantings of astilbe are very eye appealing. They are a dramatic focal point in your garden. Astilbe comes in the colors of white, pink, dark pink, and lavender, there is a plant for every garden color scheme.

3. 
   Digging hole

   Dig a hole that is the same depth as your nursery pot. Gently remove the plant from the pot. Loosen the soil around the roots.

4. 
   Fill hole with water

   Fill the hole with water, when the water starts to subside, you would then place the plant in the center of the hole.

5. Cover the roots with moist soil up to the stem of the plant. Space the plants eighteen inches apart. This will allow adequate room for plant to grow.

6. 
   Mulch around plant

   Add a thick layer of mulch around the plant. The mulch will help in maintaining moisture, and discourage weeds.

7. Feed with water all-purpose water fertilizer every two weeks throughout growing season.

Tips & Warnings

• Divide and transplant every 2-3 years.
• Astilbe plumes turn bronze in fall. You can cut them to add to your fall floral arrangements or leave them to add interest to your winter garden.
• Keep the soil evenly moist. Lack of moisture will force the astilbe to go dormant, and or die. Water plants before 8 am daily throughout the summer months.

Resources

• Design Secrets for Yard and Garden
• Astilbe Groundcover

[vallain]

on 7/6/2009 I like that it can winter over.

[klnygaard]

on 5/28/2009 great info and nice picures

[georgelarson]

on 5/26/2009 Good information about gardening and planting Astilbe. Thanks.

[howsitdone]

on 5/26/2009 I've seen astilbe but didn't know what it was. Thanks for the instructions for growing it!

[roseanne09]

on 5/25/2009 great article!!! 5*