Astilbe

Astilbe
Astilbe arendsii in flower
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Astilbe
Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
Type species
Astilbe rivularis
Species[1]

28; see text

Synonyms[1]

Hoteia C.Morren & Decne. (1834)

Astilbe /əˈstɪlbiː/[2] is a genus of 18 species of rhizomatous flowering plants within the family Saxifragaceae, native to mountain ravines and woodlands in Asia and North America.[3] Some species are known by the common names false goat's beard and false spirea.

Species range from New Guinea, Java, Borneo, and the Philippines to Indochina, the Himalayas, China, Japan, and the Russian Far East, and to the southeastern United States.[1]

These hardy herbaceous perennials are cultivated by gardeners for their large, handsome, often fern-like foliage and dense, feathery plumes of flowers. They are widely adapted to shade and water-logged conditions, hence they are particularly associated with pond-side planting. They also tolerate clay soils well. Numerous hybrid cultivars have been raised. Flowers of at least some Astilbe species have a strong and pleasant aroma. Some species, including Astilbe rivularis, are used in traditional medicine.[4]

  1. ^ a b c Astilbe Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  2. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  3. ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
  4. ^ O'Neill, Alexander; et al. (2017-03-29). "Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 13 (21): 21. doi:10.1186/s13002-017-0148-9. PMC 5372287. PMID 28356115.