Astilbe, False Spirea, False Goat's Beard 'Queen of Holland'

I bought this plant by accident last summer, my neighbor was buying some astilbe and I could not resist getting some myself. I planted ...Read Moreit in the "shadiest" part of my part-sun garden. I thought it was going to be boring and regretted planting it but I was wrong! In the spring the plant emerged with red stems and bronze and green leaves that gradually turn dark green. The flower plumes appeared in early June (Zone 6a) as delicate and diffuse, six inch lime green spikes that gradually turned white. Very easy to grow and seems to tolerate heat and dry conditions more than I would have expected it to. Not very tall (24 inches) but still stands out in an understated way. It has worked very nicely next to my lupine in flower and the phlox and echinacea that are just getting started. Watching this very common plant evolve is half its fun.

The flowers may be plain old white but they constrat beautifully against the purple-tinted foliage. Spring foliage is quite purple-red b...Read Moreut becomes purple-tinted green in summer. They are shiny as well.