Astilbe ‘Purpurlanze’ (Lilac) - Tall, Lilac-Purple Plumes for Pond & Bog Edges (Peat-Free, Pesticide-Free; Non-Native, Garden-Safe)

A statuesque astilbe with slender lilac-purple plumes held well above crisp, divided foliage. ‘Purpurlanze’ flowers mid to late summer, giving height and colour in cool, damp ground - ideal for the pond or bog-edge, or a shady damp border (it’s not aquatic). Clump-forming and reliable, it brings nectar on still, mild days for bees and hoverflies, while the foliage mass offers cover at the warm rim for newts and invertebrates. Expect 60-90 cm in flower; footprint stays neat and is easy to lift and divide to repeat through a border.
Native status: Non-native; garden-safe when kept evenly moist.

Where it thrives
Light: Partial shade to shade (tolerates morning sun if soil stays wet)
Moisture/Zone: Pond collar / bog-edge / damp border; consistently moist humus-rich mineral loam; do not submerge

Planting & care

• Plant into peat-free loam improved with leaf-mould/composted bark; mulch annually to lock in moisture

• Water to establish; never let it bake dry in summer (astilbes sulk if droughted)

• Deadhead for tidy clumps or leave plumes for winter texture

• Divide every 3-4 years in spring to refresh and spread

• Avoid all pesticides and high-salt feeds

Safety (important & honest):
Ornamental use only - do not ingest. Generally low-risk to handle. Keep plant material and soil out of natural watercourses.

Truth-first wildlife note:
Provides useful nectar in bloom, but as a non-native it offers no larval host role. For maximum value, weave through UK natives (e.g., Meadowsweet, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Water Mint) so forage runs from spring to autumn.

Joel says…
“Think lilac spires in cool, damp ground. Keep the roots wet, mulch each spring, and split the clump now and then - zero fuss, big effect.”