PlantFiles: False Spirea, False Goat's Beard
Astilbe x arendsii 'Amethyst'

If kept moist and well mulched it blooms nicely. Do not allow to dry out or the leaves will brown. Needs well draining soil, heavy clay soils cause stunted growth.

The label that came with the plant states:
"A mid season bloomer with deep lilac plumes."
"Tall, with spires that reach almost 3 feet, Amethyst is a full-leafed variety that fills a space nicely and never looks sparse."
"Select a site with light to full shade and humus-rich soil. Loosen the soil to a depth of 2-3 inches, cover root with soil, leaving the crown and new growth eyes above the soil line. Apply a layer of mulch over the top."
"Keep well-watered until shoots appear, then keep soil moist but not soggy."
"End of Season apply a thin layer of compost each fall, followed by a 2-inch layer of mulch to retain moisture. After the Astilbe has gone dormant, prune back stems to one or two inches long."

ASTILBE Amethyst - Perennial Spiraea - Medium to tall - plant 18" apart. zone 4-8. Astilbes lend a refined grace to perennial borders. Lush deeply cut foliage is attractive for the entire season and is colored from green to bronze. Astilbes produce an airy plume in summer that moves with the slightest breeze. Effective anywhere with rich moist soil and partial shade. Many strong plumes of lavender in early summer. Excellent fern-like foliage. 14-18". Large Pots.
General Information
Astilbes lend a refined grace to perennial borders. Lush deeply cut foliage is attractive for the entire season and is colored from green to bronze. Astilbes produce an airy plume in summer that moves with the slightest breeze. Effective anywhere with rich moist soil and partial shade. Deer resistant.
(from BLUESTONE)

This is a gorgeous Astilbe -- my favorite of all the colors I have! It grows very well in central Kentucky and gets quite large. I've had it grow nearly 3 feet tall. You need to leave lots of room for it to spread as well. It takes up quite a large space in the garden. I have two of this particular Astilbe and both are in part sun. The flowers are a stunning violet-pink color and the leaves are delicate and fern-like. In fact, it pairs quite well with ferns -- as you can see if you view the photo I uploaded. As the reviewer in NY said, this is a plant that is easily moved if it outgrows the space you plant in it. I have moved some of mine several times and it hasn't bothered them at all. I have even moved a very large one with no damage to the plant at all. It happily bloomed shortly after moving it. I highly recommend the Amethyst Astilbe.

I started the Amethyst Astilbe out in two locations. One clump in my pond area where it gets full sun and constantly moist to wet soil. This plant gets little to no extra fertilizer other than what washes down in soil through the springs in the hill behind it, but does extremely well, growing at a moderate pace. The lavendar blooms each June are a beautiful sight against the rocks and other plants around it.

The other plants were planted in semi shade in a corner garden near the house foundation, where they grew so rapidly that they had to be moved to other locations. I have since successfully moved them to other area's in the hillside and shade gardens where the grow contentedly.

Astilbe is such an easy plant! Deer resistant as well and divdes and transplants easily. The roots grow more on the surface rather than downward, so it is very easy to dig and move when the clump outgrows it's location.