Fanal Astilbe

Astilbe x arendsii 'Fanal'

flower

Fanal is the classic red astilbe, one of the finest perennials for bringing bold color to a moist, shady garden. It forms a tidy clump, about a foot and a half to two feet tall, of deeply cut, fern-like foliage that emerges bronze-tinted in spring, and in early summer it lifts dense, upright, feathery plumes of deep garnet-red flowers that glow in the shade and dry to attractive russet seed heads. Astilbes are clump-forming, long-lived, and deer resistant, and Fanal is prized as one of the darkest reds and an early bloomer. Its one firm requirement is moisture: it must never dry out, which makes it ideal for damp borders, streamsides, and shaded beds with rich soil.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Patriot Hosta — The classic shade-bed pairing - bold hosta leaves beside the feathery astilbe plumes in the same moist, rich soil
• Ferns — Share the damp shade and echo the astilbe ferny foliage texture
• Bleeding Heart — Blooms earlier in the same moist shade, and the astilbe carries the show after the bleeding heart fades

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Powdery mildew →

  A white film in humid, crowded shade - give airflow and avoid wetting the foliage late in the day

• Spider mites →

  Appear when the plant is drought-stressed in heat - the key is never letting it dry out; rinse the foliage if they show

• Japanese beetles →

  May chew the foliage and flowers - hand-pick into soapy water in the cool morning

• Wilt →

  Usually a symptom of dry soil rather than disease - keep the soil consistently moist and mulched and the plant recovers

🌸 Blooms & cutting

Astilbe is a lovely cut and dried flower - cut the plumes in the cool morning when most of the tiny florets have opened for fresh arrangements, or let them dry on the plant and cut the russet seed heads later for dried bouquets. In the garden, leave the dried plumes standing through fall and winter for texture, then cut the old foliage to the ground in late winter. The real secret to success is simply water: keep it moist all season and it thrives, let it dry and it browns.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

An ornamental shade perennial grown for its bold feathery plumes and ferny foliage. The flowers offer some nectar to bees and butterflies, but it is grown above all for color in the shade garden. Non-toxic and safe around pets and children.