Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Astilbe japonica

Other names

False Spirea

Family

Saxifragaceae

Flowering season

May to July

English distribution

It is thinly and widely scattered, but is more common in

the Northwest of the country.

See the BSBI distribution map for False-buck’s-beard

Habitat

It is a neophyte which is widely grown in UK gardens and

amenity areas.

It is variously described as a cultivated escape, a garden

thug and naturalised, in several botanical sources.

The escape is thought to have arisen from garden

throw-outs,

which have become naturalised in damp places.

Description

False-buck’s-beard is a showy, perennial herd, growing

up to 1m.

The flowers are on arching flower stems of up to 30cm.

Individual flowers are quite small and have protruding

anthers.

The petals are creamy-white and are longer than the

sepals.

The leaves are pinnate, strongly veined, toothed and

dark green.