Deer resistant: yes 🦌
Moisture: needs continuously moist soil
Size: 40” H x 24” W
Bloom: Feathery pale pink blooms in early July
Garden zone: 4
Astilbe are a very large group of perennials with basal cut-leaf, toothed foliage above which colorful, feathery plumes of flowers emerge on short stalks. Astilbe, along with Hosta, are the cornerstones of shade gardens. Astilbe need consistently moist soil, or they will curl, crisp, and wither. We do grow Astilbe under trees, but sites with tree root competition will require monitoring for adequate soil moisture.
‘Grete Pungel' is a very large Astilbe slightly smaller than ‘Moerheimii Glory’, and blooms slightly earlier. It is another stunning specimen Astilbe. If kept moist, it is low maintenance and spreads readily, giving you opportunities to divide and transplant or give away to friends. It is hard to find commercially now—we got our starter plants many years ago—but is well worth seeking out. We use it in combination with Astilbe thunbergii ‘Moerheimii Glory’, and smaller Astilbes in mass plantings.