Astilbe 'Peach Blossom'

Astilbe 'Peach Blossom': Pale Peach Glowing in the Gloaming

Pale peach to salmon-pink pyramids over glossy, red-tinged leaves, as soft as the first morning of summer. 'Peach Blossom' is gentle colour for shady spots. JUST PEACHY. FOR REAL.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Astilbe hybrid (listed as Astilbe japonica or Astilbe × rosea)
• Common Name: False Spirea, Japanese Astilbe
• Height: 60 cm (2 ft)
• Spread: 40–45 cm (15–18 in)
• Flowers: Pale peach to salmon-pink, in dense, pyramid-shaped plumes
• Bloom Time: Early summer (June to July)
• Foliage: Glossy, divided, mid-green leaves, often tinged red
• Features: Rabbit resistant, good cut flower

Where to Plant: Pale flowers glow in low light, so put it where you'll see it at dusk: along a shady path, near a patio, or in a woodland bed. It also earns a spot in the cutting garden.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Peach Blossom' in a moist, shady bed with silver, white and lavender to suit its soft colour. Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Picotee opens white flowers edged in pink at 30 to 45 cm from March to May. Heuchera 'Silver Scrolls' adds silver leaves with dark veins at 20 cm. Hosta 'Island Breeze' brings gold-centred leaves with red stems at 30 cm. Liriope 'Monroe White' edges the front at 30 to 45 cm with white spikes in August and September.

Plant Care: Plant in spring or early fall in rich, moist soil with lots of organic matter. Morning sun and afternoon shade is the sweet spot. More sun means more watering. Keep the soil evenly moist all summer, and mulch to hold in moisture. Dry soil is the main cause of browned, crispy leaves on astilbe. Leave the faded plumes for winter interest, or trim them once they brown. Cut back in late fall or early spring. Divide in spring every three to four years to keep the clump vigorous.

History: Garden astilbes are mostly hybrids of East Asian species, including Astilbe japonica and Astilbe chinensis, and German nurseryman Georg Arends of Wuppertal was among the first to cross them, starting around the beginning of the 1900s. 'Peach Blossom' is one of the older cultivars still in commerce and sits in the Astilbe × rosea group.

Final Thoughts: Plant it under trees in moist soil and cut a few for the kitchen table. Deer and rabbits stay away. A FRUIT BOWL FOR THE SHADE.