Astilbe chinensis

Chinese astilbe is a clump-forming perennial from eastern Asia with deeply divided, dark green foliage and dense, upright plumes of flowers in pink, purple, or white from mid to late summer. It blooms slightly later than A. arendsii hybrids and tolerates drier conditions, making it useful where other astilbes struggle.

Grow in partial shade to full sun (with consistent moisture) in humus-rich soil. More drought-tolerant than other astilbe species once established, though it still performs best with regular moisture. The variety pumila is a vigorous groundcover spreading by stolons. 'Visions' series offers compact, colorful selections.