Astilbe thunbergii

(Siebold. & Zucc.) Miq.

SaxifragaceaeLeaves

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Keita Watanabe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Keita Watanabe

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Keita Watanabe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves

Edible Parts: Leaves Edible Uses: Tea Young leaves - cooked. The leaves are a tea substitute.

Where to Find It

It suits hardiness zones 7-9.

Asia, Australia, Japan,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A small herb. It grows 50-60 cm high. It spreads 30-50 cm wide. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. These have sharp teeth around the edge. The leaflets are broad and greyish-green or bronze. The flowers are small but in dense masses. They are white when they open but turn pink.

How to Grow

Propagation: Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in early spring. Only just cover the seed. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame until they are at least 20cm tall. Plant them out in the summer, or late in the following autumn. Division in spring. This is best done every 3 - 4 years in order to maintain the vigour of the plant. Larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whist smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Other Uses

Landscape Uses: Border, Container, Massing, Woodland garden. Special Features: Attractive foliage. Dynamic accumulator. Special Uses Dynamic accumulator

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Astilbe thunbergii is a species of flowering plant in the genus Astilbe, native to Japan. Its hybrid cultivar 'Straussenfeder' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Notes

There are about 12 Astilbe species. They are temperate plants.

References (3)

Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavum 3:96. 1867
Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 202
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/