Astilbe Delft Lace - Japanese Astilbe

Astilbe japonica 'Delft Lace' is a beautiful new variety of Japanese Astilbe which combines many qualities: it has a compact habit like Astilbe 'Vision' and the delightful flowering in shades of deep pink to soft apricot pink of the cultivar 'Peach Blossom'. Carried by superb red stems emerging from a bluish fern-like foliage with red highlights, its feathery inflorescences appear from the beginning of summer. For 6 to 8 weeks its flowers and foliage create a remarkable symphony of colours with a highlight of beautiful autumn foliage topped with caramel flowers. This perennial excels near water features and in shady areas, but also in large containers kept moist on the terrace or balcony.

Astilbe is a long-lived plant of the saxifrage family. 'Delft Lace' is a very recent hybrid derived from the species Astilbe japonica, native to the Japanese archipelago.

 'Delft Lace' is a rhizomatous perennial plant, with a low and compact habit from spring onwards. It will reach about 60-70 cm (24-28in) high when in flower, and spread over 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in). Its dense and abundant foliage, which disappears in winter, is composed of strongly divided, shiny leaves with toothed leaflets, whose colour changes throughout the seasons. The young silver shoots unfold into olive green leaves with icy blue or reddish highlights, before turning to red-orange in autumn. The more the plant is exposed to the sun, the more pronounced its colours will be.

Flowering begins in June and continues until August in average climates. Intensely red flower stalks emerge from the foliage clump and bear branched, feathery plume-like panicles, where a multitude of tiny flowers are tightly packed. They are deep pink when in bud, which gradually lightens as they open to pale pink and peach-pink towards the end of flowering. The faded flowers take on a lovely caramel hue and remain decorative for a long time in winter on the dry plant.

Astilbe Delft Lace, with its modest size, graceful appearance and delightful flowering, is often placed at the edge of borders with its lovely shade companions, ferns and Hostas. It will also thrive in a large pot kept moist on the terrace or balcony. Its panicles in shades of pink and its astonishing foliage, bring a touch of charm to woodland and enhance white, blue, or pink Hydrangeas planted along north-east-facing facades. It provides a unique charm to the surroundings of water features, which serve as a mirror. Laid out in ribbon-like fashion, Astilbes highlight shaded pathways along with Liriope muscari and saxifrages. Their fern-like foliage contrasts beautifully with that of opulent neighbours such as rhubarb, while their flowering blends perfectly with Persicaria amplexicaulis, for example. Astilbes can tolerate exposure to filtered sunlight and require consistently moist soil. They are hardy and robust and require very little maintenance. Create a superb border by choosing plants from our selection of moist soil perennials.