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Saxifragaceae FAMILY

Astilbe rubra

Astilbe rubra

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Plants are hardy to about -20°c[1]. Prefers a rich garden soil, but succeeds in most soils so long as they stay reliably moist in the summer[2, 3]. Requires a wet or moist peaty soil in sun or partial shade[1], growing well under shrubs[3]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 to 7[4]. Prefers partial shade[4], especially if the soil is on the dry side[3]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[3]. There are some named varieties, selected for their ornamental value[3].

Propagation

Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in early spring. Only just cover the seed. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame until they are at least 20cm tall. Plant them out in the summer, or late in the following autumn. Division in spring. This is best done every 3 - 4 years in order to maintain the vigour of the plant[4]. Larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whist smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Astilbe+rubra>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Perennials. Volumes 1 and 2. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1991 · ISBN 0-330-30936-9 ↩︎Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  4. [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  5. [5]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  6. [6]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  7. [7]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  8. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎