This neat dwarf grows less than a foot tall and is one of the most useful of all Astilbes because it blooms in late summer and is relatively tolerant of dry soils. It also creeps by underground stems, making it the best Astilbe for use as a ground cover. The flower spikes are pink with a hint of violet as they open and will liven up the front of the border at a time when good pinks are scarce.

Astilbe is a rugged and beautiful genus of shade lovers that throw colorful spikes above divided foliage in summer, a time when color in the shade garden is hard to come by. Use them in groups in the woodland border, or mass them to create a ground cover. In evenly moist or wet soil, Astilbes are tough, pest-free, and handsome. The only thing they cannot endure is drought. The blooms are useful for cutting if they are picked when half open.