Horticulture/Astilbe

Astilbe Astilbe arendsii1.jpg Astilbe Saxifragaceae Herbaceous perennials Moist, well-drained, fertile soils. Insects Tough, woody rootstocks Astilbe is a genus of 18 species perennial, herbaceous flowering plants, within the family Saxifragaceae. Some species are commonly known as False Goat's Beard, and False Spirea. Astilbe species are native Asia and North America. They are cultivated by gardeners as hardy herbaceous perennials, for their large handsome, often fern-like foliage, and dense, feathery plumes of flowers. They require a peaty soil for their successful cultivation. Numerous hybrids have been raised. The fruit is a 3-lobed capsule which separates into follicles when ripe. Description Clumping perennial herbs with basal and cauline leaves that are 2-3 ternate, with serrate margins. Flowers are tn terminal panicles, perfect or monecious, sepals and petals 4 or 5, stamens 8-10. Growing conditions Good garden soils in sun to dense shade. Varieties Species of Astilbe include: Astilbe biternata (Vent.) Britt. Astilbe chinensis (Maxim.) Franch. & Sav. Astilbe crispa (Arends) Bergmans Astilbe grandis Stapf ex E. H. Wilson Astilbe japonica (C.Morren & Decne.) A.Gray Astilbe longicarpa (Hayata) Hayata Astilbe macroflora Hayata Astilbe microphylla Knoll Astilbe microphylla var. riparia Hatus. Astilbe platyphylla H. Boiss. Astilbe rivularis Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don Astilbe rivularis var. angustifoliolata H. Hara Astilbe rivularis var. myriantha (Diels) J. T. Pan Astilbe rubra Hook. f. & Thomson Astilbe sikokumontana Koidz. Astilbe simplicifolia Makino Astilbe thunbergii (Siebold & Zucc.) Miq. Astilbe thunbergii var. congesta H. Boissieu Astilbe thunbergii var. fujisanensis (Nakai) Ohwi Astilbe thunbergii var. hachijoensis (Nakai) Ohwi Astilbe thunbergii var. kiusiana Hara Astilbe thunbergii var. longipedicellata Hatus. Astilbe thunbergii var. okuyamae (Hara) Ohwi Astilbe thunbergii var. shikokiana (Nakai) Ohwi Astilbe thunbergii var. terrestris (Nakai) Ohwi Commonly accepted cultivar groups are: Astilbe Arendsii Group Astilbe Crispa Group Astilbe Japonica Group Astilbe Simplicifolia Group Uses Grown for their showy flowers and fern-like foliage. Maintenance Very easy to care for, requiring only to be cut back in spring before the new growth emerges Propagation Division. Pests and diseases Bacterial ../Leaf Spots/ ../Powdery Mildew/ ../Leaf Spots/ ../Cercospora/ ../Bugs/ Tarnished Plant Bug: ../Lygus lineolaris/ Fourlined Plant Bug: ../Poecilocapsus lineatus/ ../Beetles/ Oriental Beetle: ../Exomala orientalis/ ../Weevils/ Black Vine Weevil: ../Otiorhynchus sulcatus/ ../Caterpillars/ Saddleback Caterpillar: ../Sibine stimulea/ References Flora of China: Astilbe http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=102968 Svenskt kulturväxtlexikon http://skud.ngb.se/ The plants database http://plants.usda.gov/ P. D. Strausbaugh and Earl L. Core Flora of West Virginia Second 1977 Seneca Books, Grantsville, W. Virginia 446 Christopher Brickell and Judith D. Zuk The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants 1997 DK Publishing 151–152 Staff of the L. H. Bailey Hortorium Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada 1976 Cornell University Press 125–126 Cranshaw Whitney Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs 2004 Princeton University Press 581 Pippa Greenwood, Andrew Halstead, A.R. Chase, Daniel Gilrein American Horticultural Society Pests & Diseases: The Complete Guide to Preventing, Identifying, and Treating Plant Problems First Edition 2000 Dorling Kindersley (DK) Publishing, inc. 198