ABSTRACT
Astilbes are perennial branching herbs and are used in the garden or forced into flower under protection. This genus has some 14 2 , 3 species; two of them are found in North America (mountains of Kentucky and Virginia to Georgia); the balance are found in eastern Asia. 2 Those species commonly used in greenhouse culture are A. chinesis, found in both China and Japan; A. japonica, A. thumbergii 2 and X astilboides 3 are from Japan. Other species are found in Nepal and Korea. It is a member of the Saxifragaceae.
