Astilbe, Deutschland Astilbe japonica 'Deutschland' Plant Height: 18 inches Flower Height: 24 inches Spacing: 24 inches
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Hardiness Zone: 3a Other Names: False Spirea Description: A low maintenance, shade loving variety, featuring bushy, mounded plants; white plumes rise above mounds of ferny, toothed foliage; an excellent addition to shaded gardens, borders, containers or fresh-cut bouquets; Ornamental Features Astilbe, Deutschland has masses of beautiful plumes of white flowers at the ends of the stems from early to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its serrated ferny compound leaves remain forest green in color throughout the season. Landscape Attributes Astilbe, Deutschland is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics. Astilbe, Deutschland is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Astilbe, Deutschland will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 32 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen! This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation. Astilbe, Deutschland is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
