Astilbe
Astilbe 'Rock and Roll'
A shade-garden classic with big, fluffy plumes of clear-white flowers on reddish stems in early summer, above a mound of glossy, fern-like foliage.
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Astilbe ‘Rock and Roll’ is a hybrid false spirea (Saxifragaceae), one of the Astilbe × arendsii group developed from Asian species by the German nurseryman Georg Arends. It forms a tidy clump of glossy, deeply cut, fern-like foliage on reddish stems and sends up bold, fluffy plumes of clear-white flowers — a bright, cooling presence in a shady border.
Plumes for the shade
In early to midsummer, tall pyramidal panicles packed with hundreds of tiny white flowers open from the bottom up, giving a long-lasting display that’s excellent for cutting. As the flowers fade they dry to a soft bronze and hold their shape, carrying interest well into winter. The ferny foliage stays handsome all season as long as the plant has enough moisture.
Care tips
Moisture is everything with astilbe: it thrives in the damp, humus-rich soil of a woodland edge, a rain garden, or a pondside, and it sulks — browning at the leaf margins — wherever the ground dries out. Give it partial or dappled shade (or full sun only if you can keep it constantly moist), feed the soil with compost, and divide the clump every few years in spring. Deer and rabbits leave it alone, and butterflies visit the plumes.
Fun Fact
The name Astilbe comes from the Greek a- ('without') and stilbe ('brightness') — 'without glitter', a dig at the dull leaves of some wild species. It's an ironic name for a plant whose modern hybrids light up the shade with their plumes.
Habitat & form
Where it's from and what to expect.
- Native range
- Hybrid origin (parent species from China, Japan and Korea)
- Plant type
- Perennial
- Mature size
- About 20 in. tall in flower and 18–24 in. wide, forming a clump of ferny foliage on reddish stems.
- Bloom
- Large, fluffy pyramidal plumes of clear-white flowers in early to midsummer. The bronze dried seed heads stay attractive into winter.
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–8.
Care
How to keep it happy.
- Sunlight
- Partial to dappled shade is ideal; full sun is fine only with constant moisture, and deep shade gives sparse bloom.
- Water
- High and consistent. Keep the soil reliably moist — astilbe scorches and browns at the edges if it ever dries out, especially in sun.
- Soil
- Rich, humusy, moisture-retentive soil. Happy in clay and damp ground near ponds or downspouts; dislikes dry sites.
- Pruning
- Low maintenance. Leave the spent plumes for winter interest, then cut the old foliage back in late winter. Divide every 3–4 years in spring to keep clumps vigorous.