Astilbe thunbergii 'Professor van der Wielen'

Astilbe thunbergii 'Professor van der Wielen'

Astilbe thunbergii Professor van der Wielen
Thunberg's Astilbe, False Goat's Beard

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8/9 cm pot

From €6.90

Price per item €7.90
Price for 3: €20.70 i.e €6.90 each

Sku: 87598

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A graceful variety, with a dense and slender habit, whose long summer flowering spills into fine white and trailing paniculate plumes. This perennial, vigorous and of beautiful stature, brings much charm to areas of the garden where the soil is consistently heavy and moist. Its flowers are very long-lasting in fresh or dried bouquets.

Flower size

30 cm

Height at maturity

1 m

Spread at maturity

80 cm

Exposure

Partial shade

Hardiness

Hardy down to -34.5°C

Soil moisture

Moist soil, Damp soil

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Best planting time March, October

Recommended planting time February to April, September to November

JAN J

FEB F

MAR M

APR A

MAY M

JUN J

JUL J

AUG A

SEP S

OCT O

NOV N

DEC D

Flowering time July to August

JAN J

FEB F

MAR M

APR A

MAY M

JUN J

JUL J

AUG A

SEP S

OCT O

NOV N

DEC D

Description

Astilbe thunbergii 'Professor van der Wielen' is an excellent variety of astilbe, elegant and floriferous. Bending gracefully over its beautiful fern-like foliage, assembled in a light tuft, finely ramified white floral panicles, with a feathery appearance, appear and bloom in summer. This perennial brings a touch of magic to shady, moist areas where it thrives, ideally near water sources. On the terrace, it does well in a large pot kept fresh. Its flowers remain very attractive in dried bouquets.

The 'Professor Van der Wielen' Astilbe is a thunbergii hybrid, and as such, it is a vigorous variety recognized by its fine, trailing inflorescences, which give it a characteristic silhouette. Like all Astilbes, it belongs to the Saxifragaceae family and has Japanese origins. It is a perennial with a rhizomatous stump of beautiful stature, forming a wide, airy tuft from spring onwards, with a flexible habit. It consists of leafy stems. The leaves of this Astilbe are divided into dentate leaflets, with a shiny dark green colour and covered in brown hairs. At maturity, this variety, 'Professor van der Wielen, will reach about 1m (3ft) in height when flowering, and it will spread over 80cm (32in) to 1m (3ft). Flowering takes place in July-August, more or less early depending on the climate. In autumn, the deciduous foliage takes on pretty reddish or bronze hues. The above-ground vegetation dries up and dies in winter and regrows in spring.

Astilbe thunbergii 'Professor Van der Wielen' is a preferred inhabitant of humid and semi-shaded areas. It beautifully accompanies ferns, bearded irises, Rodgersias, and obedient plants (Physostegia virginiana) in slightly sunnier exposures near ponds and basins. This plant does not tolerate lack of water, but it can easily be grown in a container with adequate watering, or as an evaporative plant in flower beds or borders. Its flowers are very beautiful in floral arrangements and dried bouquets. In the undergrowth, associate Astilbes with hostas, ferns (Athyrium filix-femina), arums, and meadowsweet (Filipendula) or other waterside perennials.

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Astilbe: planting, cultivation, maintenance

Family sheet

Modified the 14 December 2025 by Virginie T. 13 min.

Astilbe: planting, cultivation, maintenance

Read article

<a href="https://www.promessedefleurs.ie/perennials/perennials-by-variety/astilbe-false-goatsbeard.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Astilbe</a> is a herbaceous perennial plant that is well-branched, notable for the poetry of its ethereal flowering and its delicate, finely cut foliage. Unjustly overlooked, it was widely used in the past to adorn our grandmothers' gardens, and the graceful Astilbe has made a comeback in gardens in recent years, thanks to the emergence of new varieties. From June to August, its airy inflorescences in long plumes of pink, white, or red, which can reach over 1.5 m in height for some Astilbes, illuminate the shaded corners of the garden. From Astilbe japonica, or Japanese Astilbe, which flowers early, to Astilbe x arendsii, a hybrid available in numerous varieties, and Astilbe chinensis, which flowers late in July-August and tolerates drier soils better than other species, all are remarkably floriferous, even in shade. It is no coincidence that Astilbe can be found in the wild, in wooded edges near watercourses! A perennial that loves damp places, it thrives in cool, heavy, marshy soils but also accepts any good garden soil as long as it is not too dry in summer. Astilbe is hardy (-20°C), never sick, and lives for many years in shade or partial shade. With its varied colours and low maintenance, it enhances naturalistic gardens, the edges of water features, the garden's wet areas, shady borders creating an evanescent mist under deciduous trees, or even rockeries and large fresh pots. When cut, Astilbe inflorescences make very pretty fresh or dried bouquets with a rustic charm. Romantic or fiery, ethereal, <a href="https://www.promessedefleurs.ie/perennials/perennials-by-variety/astilbe-false-goatsbeard.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">from pink Astilbe to red Astilbe</a>, discover this beautiful, easy-to-grow perennial, essential for the banks of a pond and in cool soils!

Astilbe thunbergii 'Professor van der Wielen' in pictures

Flowering

Foliage

Flowering

Flower colour white

Flowering time July to August

Inflorescence Panicle

Flower size 30 cm

Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous

Foliage colour dark green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 1 m

Spread at maturity 80 cm

Growth rate fast

Botanical data

Genus

Astilbe

Species

thunbergii

Cultivar

Professor van der Wielen

Family

Saxifragaceae

Other common names

Thunberg's Astilbe, False Goat's Beard

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference • 875981

Planting and care

Astilbe thrives mainly in partial shade and in soils that remain moist, even if they are marshy and waterlogged in summer. You can place it in a fairly gentle sunlight, but avoid the hottest hours of the day. Plant it in spring or autumn in soil rich in organic matter and make sure it never lacks water from spring until the end of summer. Avoid alkaline soils.

To install your pot, work your soil to a depth of 20cm (8in), crumbling the soil well and placing a base amendment such as dried blood or dehydrated horn at the bottom of the planting hole. Position your plant, removed from its pot, by covering the top of the root ball with 3cm (1in) of soil. Then fill in and water generously to eliminate air pockets. During dry weather, regular watering is necessary for a few weeks to facilitate root growth. Astilbe requires very little maintenance. Keep the soil moist and add compost and fertilizer in spring. In winter, be careful of flowers and young foliage, which can be damaged by spring frosts. After flowering, cut the flower stems to highlight the foliage. In November, cut back the plants to about 10cm (4in). Avoid working the soil near these plants, as the rootstocks develop on the surface. These plants are resistant to diseases and are rarely attacked by insects. While ignored by slugs, they can be susceptible to powdery mildew and fungal spots.

Planting period

Best planting time March, October

Recommended planting time February to April, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Shaded rockery, Woodland edge, Undergrowth

Type of use Border

Hardiness Hardy down to -34.5°C (USDA zone 4) Show map

Ease of cultivation Amateur

Planting density 5 per m2

Exposure Partial shade

Soil pH Acidic, Neutral

Soil type Clayey (heavy), Silty-loamy (rich and light)

Soil moisture Moist soil, Damp soil, Rich, clayey

Care

Pruning instructions Prune the faded flowers after flowering to promote better foliage growth. You can also leave the flower stalks in place if you want to decorate the garden during the winter season, simply remove everything in the following spring by cutting back the young plant to 10cm (4in).

Pruning Pruning recommended once a year

Pruning time February to April

Disease resistance Good

Overwinter Can be left in the ground