Late Season Astilbe Varieties For Your Garden

Late Season Astilbes, Astilbe Bloom Times

Immensely popular, Astilbes are fabulous plants for shady, moist conditions. They light up your shade garden for weeks with their elegant flower plumes and add a dazzling splash of color to the landscape. Ranging from 6 in (15 cm) to 24 in. tall (60 cm), their feathery plumes, in shades of lavender, pink, red, or white, can be incredibly striking. They rise gracefully above attractive mounds of fern-like foliage that remains attractive all season long (under satisfactory growing conditions) before turning progressively a rich caramel color that provides winter interest to the garden.

Relatively trouble-free, Astilbes require little maintenance, are heavy shade tolerant, and attract butterflies, but are deer and rabbit resistant! The perfect perennial for a shady border with dappled light!
These part shade to full shade lovers thrive in organically rich, evenly moist, well-drained soils. Easy to grow, their biggest enemy is dryness – so don’t let the soil dry out!
Native to Asia and North America, there are about 18 species of Astilbes and hundreds of cultivars, some less than 12 in. tall (30 cm) and ideal for the front of the border or rockeries. In contrast, others can easily reach 5 ft. in height (150 cm) and are better suited for the back of the border. This diversity in height makes Astilbes quite versatile, and they overachieve in providing a spectacular flower show, whether planted in perennial borders, woodlands, by streams, ponds or in containers. Plant them in groups for better visual effect. Their flower plumes also make excellent fresh cut flowers and can be dried in natural bouquets.
Astilbes bloom between late spring and late summer. They flower over a fairly long season since each flower plume consists of hundreds of densely packed tiny flowers, opening in succession. However, they do not all flower simultaneously and are classified with a blooming time, ranging from Early to Late season. Therefore, to fill your garden with continuously blooming Astilbes throughout the season, you may plan to plant a variety of cultivars, from Early- to Late season bloomers.

To help you plan your late spring or summer garden and facilitate your selection of Astilbe varieties, here is a list of late-season Astilbe cultivars.

Guide Information

Hardiness	3 - 9
Heat Zones	2 - 8
Climate Zones	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A2, A3
Plant Type	Perennials
Genus	Astilbe
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun, Shade
Season of Interest	Summer (Mid, Late)
Height	6" - 5' (15cm - 150cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Maintenance	Low
Water Needs	Average
Soil Type	Loam
Soil pH	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained, Moisture Retentive
Characteristics	Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Showy
Tolerance	Deer, Rabbit, Wet Soil, Full Shade
Attracts	Butterflies, Bees
Landscaping Ideas	Patio And Containers, Beds And Borders, Ponds And Streams
Garden Styles	Informal and Cottage

Late Season Astilbe Varieties (Mid Summer - Late Summer)

Astilbe ‘Hyacinth’ (Arendsii Hybrid)

A popular Astilbe variety with sturdy stems and abundant flowers, Astilbe ‘Hyacinth’ or ‘Hyazinth’ (Astilbe x arendsii) features graceful, lavender-pink flower plumes rising elegantly above fern-like mounds of deep green foliage. Sparkling in the shade, each plume consists of hundreds of densely packed tiny flowers, each opening in succession, providing a long season of bloom in mid-late summer. Long-lasting, the flower plumes turn a rich caramel color which provides winter interest to the garden.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late)
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Astilbe ‘Sprite’ (Simplicifolia Hybrid)

Perfect for containers or the front of borders, Astilbe ‘Sprite’ (Astilbe simplicifolia) is a lovely dwarf Astilbe which features attractive, open, drooping panicles of shell-pink flowers borne on arching stems. Glowing in the shade, each flower plume consists of hundreds of densely packed tiny flowers, each opening in succession, providing a long season of bloom. Quite showy, they rise gracefully in midsummer to late summer above an attractive mound of fern-like deep green, glossy leaves which emerge bronze in spring. Long-lasting, the flower plumes are followed by attractive rust-colored seed heads which provide winter interest to the garden.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late)
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Astilbe chinensis ‘Maggie Daley’

A later flowering variety, Chinese Astilbe ‘Maggie Daley’ (Astilbe chinensis) features profuse and striking bouquets of lavender-purple flower plumes held upright on strong stems. Each plume consists of hundreds of densely packed tiny flowers, each opening in succession, providing a long season of bloom. Quite showy, they rise gracefully from mid to late summer above an attractive mound of fern-like deep green, glossy foliage.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late)
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Astilbe chinensis var. pumila (Dwarf Chinese Astilbe)

A favorite choice as low-growing Astilbe, Chinese Astilbe pumila (Astilbe chinensis var. pumila) is a dwarf variety with stunning, fluffy, rich, lavender-purple flower plumes. Quite showy, they rise gracefully in late summer – early fall, on strong, erect flowering stems above an attractive mound of fern-like green foliage. Long-lasting, they turn a rich caramel color which provides winter interest to the garden. Perfect for the front of a border, as an edging plant, or as a dense ground cover.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Seasons	Summer (Late), Fall
Height	8" - 10" (20cm - 25cm)

Astilbe chinensis var. taquetii ‘Purpurlanz’ (Chinese Astilbe)

A later flowering variety with lance-shaped flower spikes rather than tufted plumes, Astilbe chinensis var. taquetii ‘Purpurlanz’ (Chinese Astilbe) is a tall, upright perennial boasting purple flowers held in dense, graceful plumes. Blooming in late summer to early fall, each plume consists of hundreds of densely packed tiny flowers opening in succession for a long-lasting floral display. They fade to lavender as the flowers mature before turning a rich caramel color which provides winter interest to the garden. The blossoms are held on sturdy stems and rise above an attractive mound of fern-like, dark green leaves. This exquisite Astilbe is relatively trouble-free, requires little maintenance, is heavy shade tolerant, and attracts butterflies but is deer and rabbit resistant. The perfect perennial for a shady border with dappled light.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Seasons	Summer (Late), Fall
Height	2' - 4' (60cm - 120cm)

Astilbe chinensis var. taquetii ‘Superba’ (Chinese Astilbe)

For a dramatic statement in the garden, Astilbe chinensis var. taquetii ‘Superba’ (Chinese Astilbe) is a tall, upright perennial boasting stunning, purple-rose, lance-shaped flower plumes. Blooming in late summer to early fall, each plume consists of hundreds of densely packed tiny flowers opening in succession for a long-lasting floral display. The blossoms are held on sturdy stems and rise above an attractive mound of fern-like foliage which emerges mahogany-red before changing to dark green. The flowers turn a rich caramel color which provides winter interest to the garden. This exquisite Astilbe is relatively trouble-free, requires little maintenance, is heavy shade tolerant, and attracts butterflies but is deer and rabbit resistant. The perfect perennial for a shady border with dappled light.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Seasons	Summer (Late), Fall
Height	2' - 5' (60cm - 150cm)

If you are an unconditional Astilbe lover, select at least one Astilbe from each group to enjoy their glamorous blooms longer!

Early Season Astilbe Varieties For Your Garden

Mid-Season Astilbe Varieties For Your Garden

Late Season Astilbe Varieties For Your Garden

Garden Examples

An Elegant Summer Garden Idea with Hydrangea, Rose and Astilbe

A Charming Plant Combination for Shady Gardens: Hydrangea, Japanese Maple and Boxwood

A Pretty Pathway with Grasses and Charming Perennials

A Fabulous Plant Combination for Moist Soils and Shady Gardens

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While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.