Scientific Name:
Astilbe chinensis
Pronunciation:
uh-STILL-bee chye-NEN-sis
Common Name:
Chinese astilbe
Family Name:
Saxifragaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves mostly basal from rhizome, 2-3 times pinnately compound, leaflets 3-5, ovate-elliptic-rhomboidal, most 2-8cm long x 1-4cm wide, pubescent, margins doubly serrate; panicles 8-35cm long x 3-5 (-10)cm wide, packed with numerous lilac-pinkish-purple florets, petals linear about 5mm long x 0.5-1mm wide.
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
High, Moderate, Aquatic, Wetlands
Landscape Uses:
Aquatic - ponds, Cut flower or foliage, Ground cover, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Waterside planting, Wetland - bogs, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include A. 'Amber Moon', A. Pumila, A. 'Visions', and A. 'Vision in Red'. Compare to A. japonica.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate, Basal
Texture/Venation:
Prickly
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Compound Leaf:
Trifoliate (ternate)
Colour in Fall:
Green-yellow
Shapes:
Elliptic, Ovate, Rhomboidal
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Cordate, Cuneate, Rounded
Margins:
Double serrate, Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Panicle, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Perigynous
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Pink, Magenta, Red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Petal number may vary
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy, About 3mm long
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Fibrous-like roots, Rhizomes
Propagation:
Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
spreads agressively
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot (Rabbit resistant)
