Astilbe longicarpa
(Hayata) Hayata
iNaturalist· cc0
no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Cheng-Tao Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cheng-Tao Lin
iNaturalist· cc0
no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子
Summary
A perennial herb reaching 1 meter tall that flowers from July through October, with seeds ripening August to November. Hermaphroditic flowers are pollinated by insects. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with mildly acidic to basic pH. Grows in semi-shade (light woodland) and prefers consistently moist conditions.
Description
A herb that keeps growing from year to year. It is 40-150 cm high. The leaves are twice divided with leaflets along the stalk. They are 3-9 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The fruit is a capsule about 4 mm long with many seeds.
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Seedpod Edible Uses: The fruiting parts are eaten fresh. No more details are given.
Medicinal Uses
None known
Distribution
A subtropical plant. It grows at low to medium altitudes throughout Taiwan.
Where It Grows
Asia, Taiwan,
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.
Other Uses
Dynamic accumulator. Special Uses Dynamic accumulator
Notes
There are about 12 Astilbe species. They are temperate plants.
Synonyms
References (2)
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- www.efloras.org Flora of China Volume 8
