Lush astilba bushes will decorate the backyard. They are actively used in landscape design. Planting and care are simple, accessible even to beginners in floriculture.
Content:
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Description
Astilbe belongs to the saxifrage family. The genus includes about 40 species, consisting of 400 varieties. Of the entire variety, only about 40 pieces received distribution.
Under natural conditions, it grows in North America, Japan, East Asia. You can meet her in the lowlands, near rivers, in deciduous forests. The plant likes moist soils.
According to the type of astilbe, it belongs to rhizomatous plants.
The roots are woody. New buds form on them every year, the old part slowly dies off.
Her stems are erect. They grow from 10 cm to 2 m. Their life cycle lasts from spring to autumn.
Astilba leaves grow on long petioles. Their plates are twice or thrice dissected. The edges are serrated. They are painted dark green, some varieties may have a reddish tint.
The inflorescence is represented by panicles that grow up to 60 cm long. They consist of small flowers. Their color can be white, pink, red, purple.
The flowering period falls on the summer months. It lasts about 14 days. After it, the fruit-box with seeds ripens.
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Types of Astilba
Scientists use several classifications of astilba: by origin, by name, by color of inflorescences, flowering period, height of bushes and others.
Height classification:
- Dwarf, up to 30 cm
- Low, up to 60 cm
- Medium, up to 90 cm
- High up to 2 m
Classification by inflorescence:
- diamond-shaped
- Paniculata
- Pyramidal
- drooping
Classification by flowering period:
- Early
- Medium
- Late
Let us dwell in more detail on the classification by origin. It is accepted by botanists as a basis.
Arendsa
Astilba Amethyst
- Combines 40 varieties. Represented by perennial plants with a powerful, branched root system. Bushes grow up to 1 m tall, the cross section is 70 cm. The crown is either pyramidal or spherical. The leaves are pinnate, green with a glossy sheen.
- Hybrids of this series are obtained by crossing David's astilba with other varieties.
- The group has a long flowering period, up to 40 days. It falls in the second half of summer.
The series includes varieties such as:
| Name | bush height | Inflorescence form | Inflorescence color | flowering period | Flowering time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amethyst | 80 cm | paniculate | light lilac | July | 25-30 days |
| White Gloria | 80 cm | Rhomboid | Purple | July | 25-30 days |
| Brautschleier | 70-80 cm | drooping | yellowish white | First half of July | 16 days |
| glut | 70-80 cm | paniculate | Red | August | 15-20 days |
| Diamond | 90 cm | paniculate | White | July | 25-30 days |
| Anita Pfeiffer | 60-80 cm | paniculate | Salmon Pink | July | 30 days |
| Erika | 85-90 cm | Rhombic | light pink | Second decade of July | 14 days |
| Hyacinth | 80-90cm | Rhombic | light lilac | Second decade of July | 14 days |
| Ruby | 80 cm | paniculate | Purple | July August | 18-25 days |
| Bressingham beauty | 80-100 cm | paniculate | hot pink | July August | 30 days |
| Gloria Porpurea | 70 cm | paniculate | Dark lilac-pink | July August | 20-30 days |
Astilbodies
Astilbe Blond
- The group includes 3 varieties bred by E. Lemoine: Blondin, Keningin Wilhelmina, Lord Salsbury and 1 variety - M. Debois: Floribunda.
- Their height is 60-90 cm. The leaves are large, twice dissected. Their color is light green. The leaf veins are covered with hairs on both sides.
- The flowers are white or pink, form a pyramidal inflorescence. It is 45 cm long. Width - 20 cm. Lateral branches are drooping. Flowers have 10 stamens.
- The flowering period falls on June - July.
- Withstand frost down to -23 degrees. In regions with colder winters, shelter is required.
- These varieties are rarely found in flower beds. It is almost impossible to find them for sale. These varieties formed the basis of new varieties.
Low hybrids of Chinese astilba
Astilba Serenade
- Representatives of this group are distinguished by a late flowering period. They bloom their flowers in August - September.
- The group of Chinese hybrids includes a variety used in breeding, which is the basis of the Arends series - David's astilba. She has powerful, tall bushes - 150-200 cm. The stems are red-green in color.
- The leaves have a bronze sheen when blooming in spring, later becoming light green. The color of the paniculate inflorescences is lilac-pink or fuchsia.
- Flowering lasts 14 days in July.
The table shows the popular varieties of this series:
| bush height | Inflorescence form | Inflorescence color | Frost resistance | Flowering time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The final | 40 cm | Paniculata | Pink | -25 | 25 days |
| Intermezzo | 60 cm | Paniculata | salmon pink | -25 | 25-30 days |
| Serenade | 100 cm | Paniculata | Lilac pink | -30 | 25 days |
| Veronica Close | 40 cm | Paniculata | Dark pink | -27 | 25-30 days |
| Purpurkerts | 100 cm | Paniculata | Purplish pink | -25-30 | 30 days |
| spatsommer | 40 cm | spike-shaped | Pink | -30 | 30 days |
Fringed hybrid
Astilbe Lilliput
Common varieties:
- Dagalet - with the onset of autumn, the leaves become covered with a bronze color. Blooms with creamy flowers.
- Lilliput - dwarf variety with salmon-pink flowers.
- perkeo - a compact plant, no more than 20 cm high. Pink or purple flowers make up narrow pyramidal inflorescences. Blooms in the first half of July, a little more than two weeks. The leaves have a bronze sheen in spring.
- Peter Pan - has bright pink pyramidal inflorescences
hybrid varieties
Astilba America
- The group includes approximately 50 varieties. It is one of the most numerous.
- This includes all astilbes that cannot be assigned to other groups.
Consider some of the most famous among flower growers:
| Name | bush height | Inflorescence form | Inflorescence color | flowering period | Flowering time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| America | 70 cm | Paniculata | Light pink | July | 18 days |
| Avalanche | 60 cm | drooping | White | July | 20 days |
| Rubella | 90 cm | Paniculata | Light purple | July | 14 days |
| Quele | 60-80 cm | Paniculata | Lilac pink | July | 20 days |
Japanese hybrids
Astilbe Bremen
Low bushes grow up to 90 cm. They have shiny leaves. The bushes are strongly spreading with a large number of side shoots. Basically, all flowers bloom early. Representatives of this group are used for distillation.
Description of some varieties:
- Bremen bushes grow up to 50 cm. Raspberry inflorescences have a pyramidal shape. The flowering period falls on July - August.
- Gladstone grows up to 50 cm. Creamy-white inflorescences, drooping. Flowers bloom in July.
- Montgomery blooms in late summer. Inflorescences consist of large red flowers. Her bushes grow up to 70 cm.
- Plume has drooping inflorescences, painted in cream or light pink. The growth of the bush is 80 cm.
Lemoine hybrids
Astilbe Mont Blanc
- This series includes about 20 varieties.
The most common:
| Name | bush height | Inflorescence form | Inflorescence color | flowering period | Flowering time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerbe de Neige | 95 cm | Drooping, up to 50 cm long | Cream | July | 25-30 days |
| Mont Blanc | 60 cm | Pyramidal | White | End of July-August | 20 days |
| Plume Neujo | 80 cm | drooping | White with a pinkish sheen | July | 18 days |
pink hybrids
Astilba Queen Alexandra
This group includes 2 varieties:
- Peach Blossom - differs in sprawling bushes, whose height is about 60 cm. Paniculate inflorescences are 10-25 cm long. They are painted in light lilac color. They bloom for about 15 days in July. The frost resistance of the variety is high.
- Queen Alexandra - the height of the bush is 60 cm. The color is pale pink. Flowers are collected in paniculate inflorescences.
simple-leaved hybrids
Astilba Aphrodite
The group consists of 16 varieties. The main difference is that they are simple, not openwork, leaves. Bushes do not exceed 50 cm in height. These hybrids do not tolerate hot weather very well, and are suitable for regions with cool weather in summer. It is better to plant them in the shade.
Common varieties:
- Aphrodite belongs to dwarf varieties, the height of its bush is on average 40 cm. The color of the inflorescences is raspberry.
- Bronze Elegance grows up to 30 cm. Inflorescences drooping pale pink.
Astilbe Take
Astilba Superba
- Small group. The most famous variety included in it is Superba. Its bush is 1 m tall. Inflorescences-panicles are painted in lilac-pink color. Refers to varieties of late flowering, it takes place in August, for 25 - 30 days.
- Frost-resistant variety. Withstands temperatures down to -30 degrees.
Astilbe Thunberg
Astilba van der Willen
The group includes varieties that were bred by G. Arende and B. Reis. The inflorescences of these hybrids reach a length of 25 cm. The flowers of the series smell pleasant. These varieties have a rather low frost resistance, for the winter they must be covered.
- Betsy Cooperos - a rather tall bush, its height is 120 cm. Flowers form light pink panicle inflorescences. They bloom in August.
- Professor van der Willen - grows up to 90 cm. The color of the leaves in the spring is brownish-green. The inflorescence is drooping, about 40 cm long. The color may be white or yellowish-white. Blooms in July from 15 to 20 days.
- Straussenfeder differs in high bushes up to 180 cm. Dark pink inflorescences have a drooping shape. Blooms for 20 days in July - August. The variety tolerates frosty weather well.
Naked hybrids
Astilbe Sprite
Varieties originally from southern Japan. They can't stand the cold. Maximum frost resistance up to -23 degrees. All varieties of this group are dwarf, the height is from 15 to 30 cm. Suitable for forcing.
Flowers are collected in panicles, loose structure. The flowering period coincides with the middle of summer.
These include varieties:
- Sprite - grows in rounded bushes with a large number of branches. Their height is up to 50 cm. The inflorescence is represented by drooping panicles. They consist of small pink flowers.
- Saxatile - low plant, 8-15 cm tall. Their root system has many offspring. Flowers form panicle inflorescences. Their color is lilac-pink. The bush gives few inflorescences, they are loose and scarce.
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Reproduction of astilba
Astilba can be propagated in three ways:
- seeds
- kidneys
- By dividing the bush
seed method of reproduction
Astilba, which grows in gardens, is a representative of hybrid varieties. It was created by crossing by professional breeders. Special technologies are involved in this process.
astilbe seeds
The best choice of seeds will be provided by a reliable, trusted manufacturer. When it is not possible to buy the species you like, you can take a chance - plant your own. Astilba seeds are not easy to collect because they are very small. 20 thousand grains by weight is only 1 gram.
You need to follow a few rules:
- Ripening occurs in September, before it makes no sense to collect them
- Faded inflorescences are cut and laid out on sheets of paper.
- Ripening lasts 2 weeks in a warm place
- When the panicles are completely dry, they need to be shaken. Seeds spill out on paper
- Landing is done in the spring
Before sowing seeds in the soil, they must be subjected to a stratification procedure:
- Put the seeds on a damp piece of cloth
- For greater effect, it is recommended to mix them with sand, peat, or re-layer with cotton.
- Wrap the fabric and place in a plastic bag.
- Maintain at a temperature of 0 + 5 degrees. To do this, you can put them in the refrigerator door.
- Stratification of astilba seeds can take up to six months
Purchased seeds are also cooled. They have enough for this for several days.
After the seeds have sprouts, they can be planted in containers filled with soil. The ideal substrate would be a mixture of sand, peat and leafy soil, in a ratio of 1:1:2.
sown seedlings keep indoors at a temperature of + 18 + 20 degrees. The first shoots will appear in about 15-20 days. They are white and covered with hairs.
Astilbe
Vlanding in open ground is carried out after the formation of the first full-fledged leaves. The landing site should be shaded so that the direct rays of the sun do not burn young plants.Astilbe does not tolerate drought. And mature plants, seedlings need regular watering.
Reproduction by the kidneys
Separation by the kidneys is recognized as the most effective way to propagate astilba. It is held in the spring. Bushes get sick less, their survival rate increases. They begin to bloom earlier than planted seeds.
The process is the division of the root. Each root cutting should have several renewal buds. Sections must be treated with ash.
Cuttings are planted in a greenhouse. The soil should consist of gravel and peat, the proportion is 1: 3, respectively. The depth of the planting hole should correspond to the size of the planting material. The earth should completely cover the kidneys by 0.5 cm.
Astilbes in natural conditions
Plant survives throughout the year. After that, in the spring it can be planted in a permanent place in open ground. It is possible to plant immediately in the place where the constant growth of astilba is planned. Then it is necessary to mulch the landing. From above it is covered with a film.
When choosing such a landing, you need to fill the dug hole with the prepared soil mixture. Warming is carried out for the winter. The bed is covered with peat mixed with sawdust, and covered with a film, spruce branches or other insulation.
After budding, you need to monitor the temperature and humidity. In the cold, it will begin to rot, which will lead to the death of the plant. You won't be able to save her.
The division of the bush
The third way of reproduction is the division of the bush. The method is effective and popular. Thanks to him, the plant, divided, is less sick and begins to bloom faster.
Schematic representation
The advantage of propagation by dividing the bush is that it can be carried out at any time, even during the period of active flowering.
Step-by-step instruction:
- First of all, the bush is completely dug out
- Divide it into parts, each must contain at least 4 renewal buds. Extras can be removed
- It is enough to leave 5 cm from the root. If there are dry areas, they need to be cut off. The size of the rhizome does not matter. The bush is doing well
- When planting, the distance between the bushes should be at least 30 cm.
- Be sure to water the planted astilba
When dividing the bush in the spring, in the fall it will delight with blooming flowers.
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The development of a plant depends on the place where it grows. It is necessary to choose comfortable conditions for everyone. This is the key to the success of beautiful and healthy astilba bushes.
Location selection
Astilbe loves heat, but it is better for her to grow in partial shade, with rarefied lighting.. Bushes growing in sunny areas bloom less. The color of the inflorescences becomes much paler.
Flower bed with astilbes
There are sun-loving varieties, but they are few. They differ in early or late flowering period. The same species that bloom in mid-summer are recommended to be planted in the shade.
The soil
A plant can grow on any land. If possible, you need to choose places with close to the surface location of groundwater.
Astilbes near the pond
Soil preparation for planting:
- Before landing, the selected place must be dug up.
- Remove the roots of other plants from the ground.
- Add humus or peat. 2 buckets are poured per square meter.
- The top layer of soil should contain potassium and phosphorus. To do this, add inert flour or complex mineral fertilizer. 30 - 50 gr. is enough per square meter.
Landing
Planting astilba is best done in the fall.
The air temperature should be kept from 5 degrees Celsius and above. The distance between the bushes should be 30 cm for dwarf and low varieties, and 50 cm for medium and high.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Dig a hole to a depth of 30 cm.
- Apply fertilizer and water.
- Plant an astilba bush.
- Top with mulch. The layer must be at least 3 cm.
In the first year after planting, astilbe is gaining color. Experienced flower growers recommend cutting buds. A weak plant will give all its strength to the inflorescences and may die.
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Care
Caring for astilba bushes is easy. The main thing is to follow the basic rules.
Watering
Astilba is hygrophilous. She needs to ensure a sufficient supply of water, so watering should be regular.
Do not allow the soil to dry out
weeding
Thanks to a powerful root system, astilba drowns out weeds. Young bushes need to be weeded. After the rain, the sprouted grass breaks out.
Application of decorative mulch
Peat mulch protects the root system well. Moreover, it prolongs the youth of astilba by the fact that the renewal buds are constantly covered with a layer of earth.
fertilizers
Astilba near an artificial pond
Bushes are fertilized every year. The choice of fertilizer depends on the quality of the soil:
- If astilba grows in moist soil, then it is fed with complex mineral fertilizers.
- When the plant is planted in dry soil, compost and peat are used.
Organic fertilizers make the foliage more lush and juicy. To do this, water the bushes with diluted manure.If you want to extend the flowering period, you need to feed in the summer with a mixture of urea and superphosphate.
Transfer
Astilbe has a maximum term of 20 years. It is recommended to repot every 5 years.. Subject to regular mulching, the procedure can be carried out after 7 years.
The transplant procedure rejuvenates the plant and prolongs its life.
You can transplant bushes in the spring before the buds open and in the fall after flowering. The excavated plant can be transplanted as a whole, or it can be divided into several parts. This process is described above, in the paragraph on reproduction by division.
Astilba neighbors
Astilba gets along well with other plants. This allows you to select the neighborhood to your taste, creating beautiful landscape compositions. Often planted on stony soils, rock gardens, near reservoirs.
Astilbes in landscape design
The openwork foliage of astilbe is very well combined with hellebore bushes. Looks good side by side tulips, lilies of the valley, irises.
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Astilbe grown in a pot
Step-by-step instruction:
- The selected bush is dug up and planted in pots about 15 cm deep. The procedure should be carried out at the end of September.
- The substrate should consist of turf and leaf soil, compost and sand. The proportion is 1:1:1:0.5, respectively.
- The pots are placed in a greenhouse. They need abundant watering and shading.
- Before the onset of frost, they arm a frame structure over the bush and insulate it.
- In December, pots with a plant are transferred to a room with a temperature not higher than 12 degrees.
- During this period, watering should be moderate.
- After about 3 weeks, shoots will begin to grow. This is a signal to resume abundant watering and increase the temperature to 18-20 degrees.
From the moment the sprouts appear to flowering, about 45 days pass. When forcing on one bush, up to 7 inflorescences are formed.
If sprouts that have grown by 8 cm are sprayed with a solution of gibbersib, this will speed up the blooming of flowers. This drug also helps the plant to form more inflorescences.
After forcing, the plant is returned to the open ground, or can be left in a pot as a houseplant
The following varieties are suitable for distillation:
- Faenel
- Koln
- Red Santinel
- Berg Crystal
- Federsee
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Astilbe's health is good. She rarely gets sick and is attacked by pests. However, this happens and it is impossible to leave the plant unattended. Disease can lead to her death.
Infected astilba foliage
Pests:
Pennitsa slobbering - These are small insects no more than 5 mm long. They leave their eggs on the leaves below or on young branches near the leaf petioles. These larvae secrete mucus that foams strongly. It protects insects from chemicals. Therefore, you can only remove their leaves with your hands.
You can try to apply insecticides, with a large invasion of pests on the bush. These pests stop the development of astilba. She stops blooming. The leaves wrinkle, wither and fall off.
strawberry nematode - is a small worm. They feed on leaf sap. You can find them in the spring, when new leaves bloom:
- Young shoots and petioles become gradually thicker
- Brown blotches are visible on the sheets
- Their shape can be deformed
- The sheets are curling
There is no way to deal with this pest. The infected astilda must be dug up with a clod of earth and destroyed. Best of all, burn outside the garden. Pour the earth where it grew with a hot solution of potassium permanganate.
gall nematode - these are also worms, only two times smaller in size. It affects the roots of astilba. Signs of this pest: rotting roots, twisted leaves, stopping the growth and development of the bush. If detected immediately, Fitoverm can help. In case of severe damage, the bush must be destroyed, and the soil should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Slugs, are collected by hands or traps are placed on them. They also cannot tolerate garlic and mustard. You can try to prepare an infusion and treat the plant with it.
well-groomed and healthy plant
Diseases:
root rot may be due to excess moisture. This happens if the astilbe grows on moist soil, while it is abundantly flooded with water. It is dangerous for young, fragile bushes, leads to their death. It is easier for a strong plant to cope with it.
It is expressed by the fact that the foliage along the edges begins to turn brown, curl, dry.
Rot control measures:
- Need to dig a bush
- Remove affected roots and foliage
- Treat the roots with a weak solution of potassium permanganate
- Transplant to a new, drier place
The land where astilbe grew is also treated with potassium permanganate. Flowers are not recommended to be planted there for at least a year.
- Bacterial spotting - affects the leaves. Expressed by black spots on the foliage. The plant starts to wither. Removed with copper-based preparations.
- Viruses and phytoplasma diseases - not amenable to treatment. They do not appear on growing bushes. Either an infected seedling was purchased, or a substrate with a virus was added to the soil. The plant will have to be destroyed so that the disease does not spread to neighboring bushes.
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Astilbe - bright and unusual
Traditional medicine and pharmacology do not use the properties of astilba. They are used in traditional medicine and cosmetology.
Property list:
- The roots are used in the treatment of hypertension
- The leaves have a tonic effect and are used in the treatment of kidney diseases.
- The stems help reduce fever, relieve inflammation, and treat skin diseases.
Ointments, infusions, decoctions are made from various parts of astilba. In addition to the treatment of diseases, they are used in cosmetology. So if you wash yourself with her infusion in the morning, then she will relieve acne.
Root infusion:
- 50 g roots peeled and washed
- Pour 0.5 liters of boiling water
- Insist in a thermos for 12 hours
- Strain, you can use
Leaf infusion:
- Take 15 gr. fresh leaves. Rinse them with running water
- Pour a glass of boiling water
- Insist 15 minutes. Ready to eat
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