The Beautiful Shade Flower That's Almost Impossible To Kill

Woodland and shade gardens can be some of the calmest and most soothing parts of your landscape. Unfortunately, they're also often easy to forget about in the chaos of the gardening season, so you may need to rely on plants that can largely take care of themselves to keep these shady areas looking nice. You don't have to avoid growing blooms just because there's little sun, as there are plenty of stunning shade-loving plants that boast gorgeous blooms. One of the toughest and most tolerant of a range of challenges and conditions is the gorgeous astilbe.

Hardy in zones 3 to 9, depending on the specific species and cultivar, astilbes boast spikes of colorful blooms that range in color from oranges and reds to whites and even purples. And they thrive and flower in full to partial shade. While their height can vary depending on the species and cultivar, astilbes generally reach between 1½ and 4 feet. Even if you've had bad luck growing healthy plants in your shade garden in the past, you might have better results with astilbe, as they aren't bothered by deer or rabbits and are moderately tolerant of wet soil. You should still try to provide them with good drainage, though, as they can struggle in extremely clay-heavy or soggy soil, especially in winter. But as long as your soil is reasonably well-draining, your astilbe should sail through winter with no special care.

While astilbe is tolerant of a range of conditions, it's generally not known for faring well in the heat or in drought. This isn't the case for all species, though. For gardeners in hotter and drier climates, the best option is Chinese astilbe (Astilbe chinensis). While this species is only hardy in zones 4 through 8, it is better able to handle heat and drought than most astilbes. Unfortunately, no astilbe species is extremely drought-tolerant, and you should still try to provide your Chinese astilbe with moist soil, but it's more likely to survive a heat wave than its relatives. The 'Vision in Pink' and 'Vision in Red' cultivars are especially popular options. If your plants are more likely to die from winter cold than summer heat, then it's possible hybrid astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii) is the better option for you, as it's hardy down to zone 3. 

To help your astilbe thrive in summer, it's best to keep its growing medium moist, even if you are growing a more drought-tolerant variety. They also need fertile soil to grow and flower their best, so consider amending with compost and fertilizer if needed. This will improve not just fertility but also drainage. While skipping fertilization may not be a death sentence for your astilbe, you'll miss out on some great blooms. Astilbes are known as shade plants, but you can even grow them in full sun as long as you stay on top of watering. And they aren't just great for growing in the ground; you can also grow astilbes in a container for a stunning shade-tolerant planter display.