Peach Blossom carries full, frothy plumes of delicate peach flowers with a hint of pink in early summer. The soft, warm color is a gentle change from the usual pinks and reds.
Its glossy green foliage forms a neat clump about two feet tall, fitting well in shaded borders, woodland gardens, containers and mass plantings. It is an early bloomer, and deer and rabbits leave it alone.
What it looks like
Full, fluffy, pyramid-shaped plumes 6 to 8 inches long of tiny flowers in soft peach with a pink blush, held on upright stems above the leaves. Leaves are compound, toothed, glossy and medium green, sometimes with reddish tints on the stems. The plant is a neat, upright clump about 24 inches tall and 15 to 18 inches wide. At peak bloom it is topped with frothy peach-pink plumes.
Growing it with lavender
Astilbe needs moist, rich soil and shade, the opposite of lavender's dry, sunny bed, so plant it in a shade garden or along a damp woodland edge with hostas and ferns.
Care
Astilbe grows best in part shade in rich, humus-rich soil that never dries out; in the north it takes more sun if kept moist. Hardy in USDA zones 4-9. Mulch to hold moisture, water during dry spells to prevent leaf scorch, and leave the dried plumes for winter interest before cutting back in spring.
At a glance
-
Botanical name: Astilbe japonica
-
Flower color: Soft peach with a pink blush
-
Foliage: Glossy green
-
Growth habit: Neat, upright clump
-
Mature size: 24 in tall × 15–18 in wide
-
USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
-
Light: full sun, part sun to part shade, full shade
-
Bloom start: Early-June
-
Peak bloom: Mid-June
-
Bloom pattern: Single Flush
-
Deer resistance: Resistant
-
Pollinator value: Good
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.