Astilbes
Now here’s an underused but very dependable perennial that is gaining in popularity as gardeners learn more about the diversity of heights, textures, blooms, and leaf and stem colors. Gail and I have been using them for years and both remember our parents using them successfully, too.
Astilbes range in height from ten-inch-tall ground cover types such as the late-blooming Pumila to the three- to four-foot-tall Purpurkerze (aka Purple Candles) to the five-foot-tall background astilbe ‘Superba’ with its purple scapes and fast-moving feet. They all prefer compost-rich moist soil and partial shade, but will tolerate full sun here in Vermont given adequate rain or supplemental watering.
