Advanced Search Filters

Plant Type
Hardiness Zone
Heat Zone
Sunset Zone
Function
Sun Exposure
Soil Moisture
Water Requirement

ASTILBE 'Red Light'

Image of Astilbe 'Red Light' ('Rotlicht')

Family

Saxifragaceae

Botanical Name

ASTILBE 'Red Light' ('('Rotlicht')')

Plant Common Name

Astilbe, False Spirea, Red Light Astilbe

General Description

Middle-sized and free-flowering, the hybrid astilbe ‘Red Light’ is an herbaceous perennial grown for its tolerance of shade, dependable bloom, plush spikes of flowers, and toothy, uniform leaves. It blooms in summer at the top of tall, slender upright stems with spikes that have a branching habit a bit like a tall, skinny Christmas tree. Tiny, closely packed, red flowers clothe the spikes, transforming them into plush, billowing, plumes that wave in the breeze. One plant may produce several stems, making a cloud of bloom high above the leaves in mid through late summer. Deadhead the plant after the first flush of flowers; you may be rewarded with new stems and a second flush of bloom in autumn. When the flowers dry, the spikes can remain attractive into autumn, thanks to their shape.

Like most astilbes, ‘Red Light’ prefers partial shade and fertile, well-drained, moist soil and is almost never eaten by deer and rabbits. Given constant moisture, the plant holds its leaves in good health through the growing season. Plant it in a shady bed, border, or woodland, singly or en masse, with hostas and ferns for companions.

Characteristics

  • AHS Heat Zone

    8 - 2

  • USDA Hardiness Zone

    4 - 8

  • Sunset Zone

    A2, A3, 1a, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 14, 15, 16, 17

  • Plant Type

    Perennial

  • Sun Exposure

    Partial Sun, Partial Shade

  • Bloom Time

    Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall

  • Native To

    Hybrid Origin, Asia

Growing Conditions

  • Soil pH

    Acidic, Neutral

  • Soil Drainage

    Average

  • Soil type

    Clay, Loam

  • Growth Rate

    Medium

  • Water Requirements

    Average Water

  • Habit

    Upright/Erect

  • Seasonal Interest

    Spring, Summer, Fall

Ornamental Features

  • Flower Interest

    Showy

  • Flower Color

    Red

  • Foliage Color (Spring)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Summer)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Fall)

    Dark Green

  • Fragrant Flowers

    No

  • Fragrant Fruit

    No

  • Bark or Stem Fragrant

    No

  • Flower Petal Number

    Single

  • Repeat Bloomer

    No

  • Showy Foliage

    No

  • Foliage Texture

    Medium

  • Foliage Sheen

    Glossy

  • Evergreen

    No

  • Showy Bark

    No

Special Characteristics

  • Usage

    Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Mixed Border

  • Sharp or Has Thorns

    No

  • Invasive

    No

  • Attracts

    Hummingbirds

  • Self-Sowing

    No