Astilbe arendsii Showstar seeds

The Astilbes arendsii 'Showstar' are perennial plants in a mixture, with a compact habit and a very colorful flowering that makes them ideal for ornamental flower pots and borders. They bloom in summer, offering dense panicles of various colors such as red, pink, white, or cream depending on the plants. They thrive in moist to wet soil, also brightening up the surroundings of water features and cool areas of the garden. Their feathery inflorescences remain very attractive in dried bouquets.

The Genus Astilbe belongs to the Saxifragaceae family. The selection 'Showstar' brings together rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial plants, which have a clump-forming and bushy habit from spring onwards.  Each plant will reach a height of 40 cm when in flower, spreading to 30 to 40 cm (15.7 in). It is a long-lived perennial with deciduous, compound, and dentate leaflets, dark green in color, particularly attractive with its glossy appearance. The flowering takes place from late spring to early summer (June-July), in the form of dense and feathery panicles, 20 to 30 cm (11.8 in) long, composed of tiny flowers that fade slightly when they open. The inflorescences can be red-pink, salmon-pink, white-cream, or white depending on the plants. An adult plant can produce up to 30 panicles in one season.

The 'Showstar' Astilbe can easily be grown in containers (with careful watering), flower beds, borders, as cut flowers for drying. It also thrives in semi-shaded borders, woodlands, or hedges. Combine these plants with Hostas, Ferns, Arums, or Woodruff, for example. These plants can be forced in a greenhouse for early flowering.

Arends astilbe hybrids present less risk of allergies than other varieties.