How to Grow False Spirea (Astilbe)

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Yolanda Vanveen, from vanveenbulbs.com, and next, we're going to learn all about False Spiraea, or Astilbe. It's a beautiful shade plant, that does really well, almost anywhere in the world, so this bed is full of funow. It's a beautiful, dark reddish pink flower. They've faded out now, so you can't see how beautiful they really were, but they were just this beautiful magenta color, and really pretty foliage. They like the shade, so I'm just planting them here, so that they can divide, and I can dig them up and separate them, and sell the plants, and they really grow, so as they multiply, it's just a massive set of roots, and they're so easy to grow, because all you need, is basically a root, to get them to grow, so this big clump, I can separate probably into ten little clumps, and they'll multiply very quickly, and then I just sell the clumps, and people put them in their yard, and they do really well, so a lot of times when I separate them out too, I'll cut down the greens, so I have the plant, or just the roots to sell, and then they'll grow new roots too, almost year round, so you can divide them out, and divide them out into little pieces, and they'll grow. It's wonderful. It's a wonderful plant to share with your friends, and they like shade. They don't want to be in full hot sun, because if it's too sunny, then the leaves will start burning, and they won't do well. I found that from experience, so I love this hot afternoon shade, not the hot afternoon sun, and they'll do really well, and they also like a lot of water, so False Spiraea, or Astilbe, they really need a lot of moisture, because if they get too dry, and these roots dry out to nothing, you will lose them. They've got to stay moist. These roots will not do well if they dry out, and you can cut them back too, almost year round, and they'll grow new growth, so even if I leave, and I'm not watering very well, and they kind of break down, or if I move them into a sunny spot, that's a little more sun, and they get damaged. I just cut the greenery off, and they grow new foliage, so they're really a pretty plant. They're a native to America. They're from the Midwest, and they grow really well in cold climates, or warm climates, and they're a perfect shade plant, because they don't need a lot of care, so False Spiraea, or Astilbe, are one of my favorite plants, and our big joke at the garden shows, is Astilbe waiting for you."