Mighty® Chocolate Cherry Astilbe

Adding foliage variety among astilbe can be tricky, as most have the same green leaves. The Chocolate Cherry Astilbe, though, is different, with fabulous chocolate-brown to dark-red leaves and stems, making a bold contrast among other astilbe, and with the typical blues, yellows and bright greens of Hosta, a typical companion in a damp, shady garden. You will also love the bold, deep-red flowers that come later than most other varieties, keeping interest and variety going right through summer. Standing about 3 feet tall in flower, it’s a great choice to place behind shorter astilbe and hosta, or among ferns and shade-loving low shrubs. You could also use it in a tub for a shady terrace, alone or mixed with other suitable perennials. Astilbe are easy to grow, they just ask for regular watering – given that they are no trouble at all. So give yourself a sweet treat, and plant this richly-colored variety in your garden.

• Bold foliage of dark red and chocolate-brown
• Upright spikes of deep red flowers in late summer
• Blooms later than many other astilbe varieties
• Easy to grow in damp soil and some shade
• Great along a stream or beside a pond

Grow the Chocolate Cherry Astilbe in a spot with some morning sun, or in light all-day shade, such as beneath deciduous trees. In cooler zones it will grow in full sun, as long as the soil is damp enough. It also grows well at the foot of north-facing walls and hedges, if the sky above is clear. Although happy in shade, it won’t grow so well in deep shade, such as beneath large evergreen trees. Plant it in moist, well-drained soil, including soils that are wet, such as beside running water, but not in stagnant water. It will also grow in ordinary garden soils, if watered regularly. It isn’t suitable for dry soils, or for sandy, poor soils. Deer won’t eat it and it almost never has any pests or diseases – given suitable conditions it is very easy to grow. You can remove the spent flower spikes, but many gardeners leave them in place for their quiet beauty. Cut back foliage and old flower spikes in late fall and cover clumps with a layer of compost or rotted leaves. No other care is needed.