All media depicts mature plants.

Red Astilbe

Perennial

16 total reviews

  • Crimson red plumes add sensational texture!
  • Spent flowers continue to provide winter interest.
  • Handsome, fern-like foliage adds appeal.
  • Easy to grow and maintain.
  • Zones 3-8, part sun/shade, 18" tall x 12" wide at maturity.
  • ZONE
  • EXPOSURE
  • HEIGHT
Size: One Quart
Regular price $23.00
Sale price Sale: $23.00 Regular price Each
Total: $23.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee

Description

Red Astilbe (or Astilbe Red) boasts vibrant crimson red blooms atop burgundy stems! These fiery blooms arise in the heat of the summer, providing bold summer color and extending the season into fall. When flowers are not in bloom, this perennial still looks appealing with handsome fern-like foliage. Don't let its appearance fool you; this flowering perennial is low maintenance and easy to grow. No deadheading is required to enjoy the beautiful blooms. We even suggest leaving the spent flowers for winter interest! Try planting it in groupings between bold hostas, colorful heucheras, spring-flowering hellebore, or as an underplanting to hydrangeas.

Details

Botanical name: Astilbe
Common name: False spirea, astilbe
Zone: 3 - 8
Sun exposure: Part-sun (4-6 hours sun), shade (< 4 hours sun)
Height x width: 12-18" x 9-12"
Flower color: Red
Foliage color: Green
Bloom time: Summer
Features: Winter interest, wet soils, rabbit & deer resistant, low flammability, heat tolerant, cold tolerant
Uses: Accent, Border, container gardening, cottage gardening, edging, ground cover, massing, naturalizing, underplanting, waterside, woodland

How to Grow

Soil: Grows best in organically rich, evenly moist, well-draining soil.
Light: Part-sun (4-6 hours sun) to shade (< 4 hours sun)
Water: Likes soil consistently moist. Adding mulch can help retain soil moisture.
Spacing: 18-24 inches
Fertilizing: Astilbe is a heavy feeder that requires lots of nutrients. Fertilize early in the spring to produce healthy flowers with a 5-10-5 fertilizer blend. After it has bloomed, apply an additional handful of fertilizer around the plant's base.
Winterizing: No specific care is needed. Foliage dies back in winter and can be cleared away in early spring before the plant sends up new shoots.
Maintenance & pruning: No deadheading is required unless you don't like the appearance of spent blooms. If left on, they provide winter interest to the garden. Divide the roots of the plant in early spring or late fall when the plant is dormant.

15 Deer-Resistant Companion Plants For Astilbe

Pairing astilbe with other deer-resistant perennials and shrubs is perfect for busy gardeners or those who don’t want to deal with constant critter damage to their plants. Here, we list deer-resistant plants to pair with astilbe and dive deeper into how to grow and care for this popular shade perennial.

Learn more

Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:

bush distance

Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:

bush distance zigzag

Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.

Plant Spacing Calculator

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  • 5 stars: 7 (44%)
  • 4 stars: 2 (13%)
  • 3 stars: 1 (6%)
  • 2 stars: 2 (13%)
  • 1 star: 4 (25%)
E
E. (New York)
GORGEOUS

Look how gorgeous and healthy this Astilbe is that I received in the mail!!

B
B. (Pennsylvania)
Red Astilbe

Not doing as well as I’d hoped. Have it in part sun. The heat has been very high here in PA. Waiting to see if it blooms soon.

E
E.L.M. (Indiana)
Great Plants; Sad Results

As with all plants I've ordered from GGP, they have been healthy, intact, and ready to plant. I've loved everything I've ordered and was confident to order again and again for that very reason.. Sadly, though, again and again, my newly planted plants, shrubs, and flowers have been under constant attack from wildlife and predators--chiefly raccoons, a groundhog, and little critters. I've had plants completely uprooted multiple times and had to replant them. More fragile plants, like coral bells, were completely obliterated. I've odered three and they've all been destroyed despite lots of TLC. All the care and precaution in the world has not allowed me to be spared from these demons, and so all the lovely GGP items I've odered have struggled to survive. One blueberry bush has been uprooted and tossed aside four separate times. It's hard for any plants to survive this kind of constant stress. My main wish would be to extricate all of the critters. That aside, I wish I could be given credit or replacement plants for the devastating losses I've endured. It has made my summer a sad one, and I hope others don't suffer from this kind of loss. It makes it particularly hard when one has had such wonderful dealings with Great Garden Plants and had the thrill of seeing healthy plants arrive in great shape. That only worsens the loss when you've done all that you can to help them thrive. Thank you.

We're sorry that the critters enjoyed your plants before you could. Young plants are especially susceptible to critter damage, so we highly recommend protecting new plants in areas with high critter traffic. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee, so please send your order number and pictures of your plants to [email protected] to start the claims process. We look forward to helping!

A
A.J. (New York)
Gorgeous!

These Astible plants are do beautiful, my order arrived on schedule and in excellent condition nothing broken or dried up. Waited 2 days and planted them they're growing well with blooms already. Very happy with my purchase.

L
L.E. (Minnesota)
Not Red

The label said Red but it’s not. It’s the magenta pink. I have a lot of Astilbes and wanted all different colors so I ordered the “red” now that it’s flowering it just another magenta pink.

We're sorry you're not satisfied with your plants. Lighting and growing conditions can determine how red the flowers are. In more light, the blooms will become more faded red and in more shade, the flowers bloom a more vivid red. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee, Please contact [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants to start the claims process if necessary.

R
R.S. (Texas)

They are dead.

We're sorry you're having trouble with your plants. Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look! Please contact us at [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants so we can better assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee

A
A.L.

Loved the item. The plant was in great shape and easy to plant. I can’t wait to see it bloom

D
D.S. (Wisconsin)
Love Red Astilbe

I love the plants, sorry to say that with the extreme heat I am not sure if they are going to make it in south central WI.
I have ordered a lot of plants from Great Garden and I am a very satisfied gardener. This year has been brutal heat and not much rain, so not ideal garden weather at all.
I hope the astilbe make it, they look pretty bad right now.

Sorry to hear about your plants. Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we have a 60-day guarantee on all our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we would be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee

J
J.K.

They look really bad and 2 of them may not make it. They should label "Do not deliver in mail box deliver front door or porch only!!!! 🤬🤬🤬🤬

N
N.M.

Healthy and happy plant is thriving in its location.

N
N.C. (New Jersey)
Poor quality

Arrived with brown curling leaves and multiple broken branches. Has not grown nor come back after planting.

Hello! We apologize that you received plants that are not up to our standards. While we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors, like shipping and handling, are outside our control, and issues like this can sometimes happen. Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we have a 60-day guarantee on all our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we would be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee

L
L.G. (Florida)
Beautiful!

Plants came in a timely manner, with the best packaging I’ve ever seen on mail orders (well protected and hydrated). After planting, they began growing and blooming immediately. So pleased with this company.

R
R.K. (Texas)
Dead Plant

All of my plants reached me in poor condition. Ordering plants in the mail isn't a good thing.

Hello! We apologize you received your plants not up to our standards. As we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors like shipping and handling are outside of our control, and issues like this can sometimes happen. Please email pictures of any plants in question to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60 day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!

R
R.M. (Maryland)
Red Astilbe was not to be

I bought 3 Astilbe (2 pink and the Red Astilbe) -- pink ones thrived (totally gorgeous) and Red went down to the roots. Seemed the plant just wasn't healthy from the start

Hello! We're so sorry to hear about your Red Astilbe! Sometimes plants struggle in shipping even if others in the order handle the journey well. We do offer a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants! Please email pictures of what remains of your plant to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!

L
L.L. (Indiana)
My Go-To Shade Blooms

I planted these at the end of the spring season and in already blazing heat. Still, they are growing and thriving. I’ve ordered several astilbe plants from GGP and all are doing well. I thought I’d lost several to frost last year, but then they popped back up in the spring. These are wonderful, hearty plants that offer beautiful color and look very natural in a woodland or cottage garden. I have a drift of white ones, behind my hostas, that are stunning in the spring. Thank you, GGP!

L
L.S.
Struggling

Surviving but not yet thriving

E
E.

Do the leaves remain evergreen through winter- or does it completely disappear and grow back in Spring? I keep reading conflicting info about this online.

Great Garden Plants

Hi there! Foliage dies back in winter and can be cleared away in early spring before the plant sends up new shoots.