Bridal Veil Astilbe
Astilbe Arendsii Hybrid ‘Brautschleier'
Bridal Veil Astilbe
Astilbe Arendsii Hybrid ‘Brautschleier'
How are the heights measured?
All tree, and nothin' but the tree! We measure from the top of the soil to the top of the tree; the height of the container or the root system is never included in our measurements.
What is a gallon container?
Nursery containers come in a variety of different sizes, and old-school nursery slang has stuck. While the industry-standard terminology is to call the sizes "Gallon Containers", that doesn't exactly translate to the traditional liquid "gallon" size we think of. You'll find we carry young 1-gallons, up to more mature 7-gallons ranging anywhere from 6 inches to 6ft.
How does the delivery process work?
All of our orders ship via FedEx Ground! Once your order is placed online, our magic elves get right to work picking, staging, boxing and shipping your trees. Orders typically ship out within 2 business days. You will receive email notifications along the way on the progress of your order, as well as tracking information to track your plants all the way to their new home!
Why are some states excluded from shipping?
The short & sweet answer is: "United States Department of Agriculture Restrictions." Every state has their own unique USDA restrictions on which plants they allow to come into their state. While we wish we could serve everyone, it's for the safety of native species and helps prevent the spread of invasive disease & pests. We've gotta protect good ole' Mother Nature, after all.
About Me
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The Bridal Veil Astilbe is one of the most spectacular and beautiful of all the Astilbe plants, and that is saying something. One of the whitest – most others are creamy – it has tall, elegant spikes of flowers for weeks through summer, and blooms relatively early, starting in July. It is especially effective in shade and in evening light, where it glows luminously across the garden, when darker colors have already faded into the gloom. The glossy mid-green leaves resemble a fern, and form a broad clump up to 2 feet across, and standing about a foot tall. It makes an effective and dense ground cover. The flower stems rise another foot into the air, beautiful pyramids that slowly turn caramel brown, still looking effective well into the fall. Grow it in the shade beneath trees, mixed with Hosta, ferns and other shade-lovers, as edging along a shady path, or beside water, which it loves.
- Dense cover of attractive mid-green leaves
- Pyramidal spires of pure-white flowers
- A perfect shade plant of great beauty
- Grows well beside water and in any moist soil
- Reliable, long-blooming and always attractive
Grow the Bridal Veil Astilbe will grow in full sun in cool zones, if you have consistently moist soil. Otherwise grow it with afternoon shade or in full, light shade, such as beneath tall trees. Its only requirement is moisture, and it won’t grow in dry soil. Enrich the soil to hold water, and water frequently when young, and regularly through dry periods in summer. Not so successful in sandy soils or in very alkaline ones. Plant in wet ground beside water, but not directly in the water, or in sour, stagnant wet soil. It doesn’t suffer from any pests or diseases, and both deer and rabbits leave it alone. In late fall cut old flower stems and the leaves back to an inch tall – that, and attention to watering, is all the work needed to grow this beautiful plant to perfection.
- Plant Hardiness Zones 4-8
- Mature Width 1-2
- Mature Height 2-3
- Sun Needs Partial Sun, Shade
It is easy to understand the popularity of astilbe plants, once you start growing them. They pretty much take care of themselves, and if you provide water, they do the rest. Long-lived and durable, they are ‘queens of the shade’, along with their kings – Hosta. Together those plants will turn your sad dark places into a garden Camelot. Plenty of white is essential in shade, as it brightens like no other color can, and makes a backdrop for darker colors, so they too will glow. For intense white, few Astilbe can rival the Bridal Veil Astilbe, whose bushy, dense spikes of pure-white flowers are carried in abundance on 3-foot stems. Plant it with blue Hosta for a crisp, icy look, or with a red astilbe like ‘Fanal’ in front of it, for a party atmosphere – wedding party that is. A terrific plant that has stood the test of time, the Bridal Veil Astilbe should be a center-piece of your shade garden – you won’t regret it.
Growing the Bridal Veil Astilbe
Size and Appearance
The Bridal Veil Astilbe is a tough and reliable perennial plant that dies to the ground each year, and comes back stronger and better the next spring. It is long-lived and durable, thriving for many years without the dividing and attention that some other perennials need. It forms a hard woody root just below the ground, and from that many large leaves grow. They are indeed ‘large’, almost a foot long and wide, but they are divided into about 15 small leaflets, each one an oval shape with jagged edges. The overall effect is of small leaves, giving it a ferny and light, airy look, while still dense enough to put bulk and structure into your beds. The foliage rises to about 18 inches tall, and stays glossy and green throughout the season – this variety has relatively light, bright foliage, and contrasts well with varieties that have darker leaves.
Flowers come early, during the first half of July, rising on slender but strong stems to a height of 2 or 3 feet, depending on the growing conditions. Each stem has numerous side-branches, forming a dense pyramid about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. The stems are covered in clusters of many very tiny, pure-white flowers. Flowering lasts for several weeks, then the flowers turn to soft beige-browns, looking attractive into fall and even through winter if you leave them standing. The display is prolific and brilliant, glowing like a torch in the shady parts of your garden.
Using the Bridal Veil Astilbe in Your Garden
This astilbe is perfect for planting alone in a smaller bed, or in drifts to cover larger areas. Space plants about 18 inches apart for group plantings – in a couple of years you will have a continuous river of foliage and blooms. Grow it along a path, by water or beneath deciduous trees and shrubs.
Hardiness
The Bridal Veil Astilbe grows well and reliably in zone 4, and in all warmer zones to zone 8. As it needs some winter cold to develop properly, it may not grow so well in zone 9, unless it is in the northeast, where winters are cooler, and summers damp.
Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions
Plant the Bridal Veil Astilbe in partial shade, perhaps with some morning sun, or in full shade beneath tall trees, on the north side of a wooded area or at the foot of a north-facing wall. It grows well in moderate shade, but not so well once it is dark, such as beneath large evergreens. It will grow in ordinary soil, as long as it is reasonably moist. It grows best in rich, moist to wet soils, but not planted directly in water. Both acidic and slightly alkaline soils are fine, and clays, but not dry sands or hot, dry places in general. Water new plants frequently during their first seasons – they never become drought resistant, but established plants will tolerate some summer dryness with little effect.
Maintenance and Pruning
Left alone by pests, diseases, deer and rabbits, the Bridal Veil Astilbe is very easy to care for. Cut down the stems whenever you feel they are no longer attractive, but certainly by early spring. The leaves can be cut in fall, after they yellow, or even left to drop with the colder weather, where they form a natural mulch. Seed heads have no particular value to wildlife in winter.
History and Origin of the Bridal Veil Astilbe
The Japanese astilbe, Astilbe japonica was the first of these plants to arrive in the West, in the 19th century. It wasn’t widely grown until plant breeders started crossing it with the Chinese plant Astilbe davidii. The most important breeder was Georg Arends, who had a nursery at the beginning of the 20th century in Ronsdorf, Germany. He created many hybrid plants, and these are collectively called ‘Arendsii hybrids’. In 1929 he released a white variety called ‘Brautschleier’, which means ‘a bride’s veil’. In most countries, it is today called the Bridal Veil Astilbe.
Buying the Bridal Veil Astilbe at the Tree Center
No shade garden is complete without a summer display of white astilbe – they look so amazing in the shade, and bring such beauty and light. The Bridal Veil Astilbe has a more dense and upright look compared to the similar Deutschland Astilbe, but whichever you choose you will love it. Order now, as these plants are so popular they are always in short supply.
