Astilbe 'Heart and Soul'

Astilbe 'Heart and Soul': Lavender-Pink Overtime Into September

Airy, branched lavender-pink plumes that keep blooming long after other astilbes have clocked out. 'Heart and Soul' gives the shade garden everything it's got. ALL IN, ALL SUMMER.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Astilbe chinensis 'Heart and Soul'
• Common Name: False Spirea, Chinese Astilbe
• Height: 75 cm (30 in) in bloom
• Spread: 45–50 cm (18–20 in)
• Flowers: Airy, branched plumes of lavender-pink to light purple
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to early fall (July to September)
• Foliage: Green, fern-like, finely divided leaves
• Features: Long bloom season
• Plant Patent: USPP 16,451

Where to Plant: Plant it in the middle of a shade border to stretch colour into late summer. It's good in moist woodland beds and damp clay, and a group of three or five makes a soft cloud of colour.

Companion Plants: Tiarella cordifolia carpets the front with white flowers in May and June. Hosta Shadowland® Giant 'Empress Wu' adds huge leaves up to 120 cm, a bold backdrop for the fine pink plumes. Ligularia 'Britt-Marie Crawford' brings dark leaves and orange flowers in August and September. Every plant here suits shade to partial shade.

Plant Care: Plant in part shade in rich, moisture-retentive soil. Chinese astilbes cope with a short dry spell a bit better than most, but regular water in dry weather keeps the leaves fresh. Mulch helps. Leave the plumes standing over winter and cut back in early spring. Divide every three to four years in spring to keep it vigorous.

History: 'Heart and Soul' was bred by Dutch astilbe specialist Harrie Verduin in Heemskerk, the Netherlands, from a 1999 cross between two Astilbe chinensis selections, and patented through Witteman & Co. It shares its naming style with other Verduin astilbes such as 'Diamonds and Pearls'.

Final Thoughts: Plant it in moist shade and let the pollinators drop by. Deer pass. LOVE THAT DOESN'T QUIT AT HALFTIME.