About
Astilbe 'Willie Buchanan' is a low-growing perennial that typically reaches a height of around 30 cm. This compact plant features finely dissected, oval leaves that are tinged with red. In mid- to late summer, it produces plumes of white flowers accented by red stamens, giving them a pinkish appearance overall.
About the genus
Astilbe are perennial plants with rhizomes, characterized by their dissected leaves that typically have a ternate structure. In summer, they produce upright panicles filled with small flowers in shades of white, pink, or purple. The dried flower heads persist into autumn, adding interest to the landscape.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, West-facing, North-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Bogs, Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in moist but well-drained or boggy soil in dappled shade, or in indirect sun where the soil remains moisture-retentive in summer. Drought intolerant, may be damaged in hot sun. Good for waterside planting. See Astilbe cultivation
- Pruning
- Cut back old stems and foliage before new growth begins in spring
- Propagation
- Propagate by division in late winter or early spring, pot divisions under glass and plant out in late spring
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free but may be susceptible to vine weevil
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to powdery mildews