Overview
Astilbe is a genus of hardy herbaceous summer-flowering perennial species. It contains over 20 species adapted to moist mountainous gorges and woodland, originally from Asia and North America. They are well placed beside ponds and other water bodies and can cope with water-logging. Widly cultivated for their big leaves and their thick, feathery flower plumes, which come in a range of colourful variants, some species are pleasantly scented.