This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Depth of water: 0-5cm
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: June to July
• Hardiness: tender (needs winter protection)
  
  Offered as an aquatic marginal, this moisture loving, clump-forming perennial is happy in boggy soil where the soil remains moisture-retentive in summer. Astilbe produces glossy, divided, dark-green foliage, and numerous branched, open sprays of pure white flowers giving a plume-like appearance in summer.
  
  
• Garden care: Plant into heavy, water-retentive soil or shallow water/soil at the margins of a pond. Lift and divide large clumps every three or four years, discarding old, woody rhizomes.