Leaf
Jean-Claude Echardour, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Japanese astilbe
Astilbe japonica (C.Morren & Decne.) A.Gray
Also known as: Astilbe
Family: Saxifragaceae
40 to 80 cm tall
Grown in shady, cool borders, pond margins, humus-rich soils
Flowering: June – July
Part shade
Shade
Hardy, to about -20°C, needs soil that never dries out completely
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Unlike most border perennials, which prefer full sun, astilbe seeks shade and moisture — one of the few perennials to flower abundantly in cool woodland shade.
🍃 Leaves
Compound, toothed, glossy, often tinged with bronze as they unfurl
🌸 Flowers
Tiny, white to pink, grouped in very dense, feathery, upright panicles
🍎 Fruits
Small dry capsule
🪵 Bark
Perennial herbaceous plant forming a clump, with upright flowering stems.
🗺️ Distribution
Native to Japan; widely grown in France as a woodland and cool-border perennial
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-rich flowers, visited by small foraging insects
✂️ Horticultural uses
Perennial for shady, cool borders, valued for its dense feathery panicles, excellent by a pond or in light woodland
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity
🌿 Other Saxifragaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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