After a brief appearance in 1936 in Scotland (as Astilbe) this aruncus was lost from sight. In the seventies it reappeared as Astilbe thunbergii "Prof. Lindquist", having been reintroduced by some Swedish botanists. The mistake was noticed very quickly and the first plants that I received were correctly named. Unfortunately, they produced no seeds (typical of aruncus which are dioecious). The Swedish botanists had obtained their plant material from an island off the coast of South Korea (where the aruncus originates). Clearly they had brought back only male plants which would have had to be propagated vegetatively.

Dick Lighty of the Longwood Botanic Garden in the USA (foundation trust of the family Du Pont), who had been on an excursion to the island, arranged to return that September and to bring back seeds. I was lucky enough to meet him and was able to obtain the first seeds which ensured my seed crop in Europe. In 1984 we were then the first seed company in a position to sell this species of aruncus seeds.

Dick Lighty has, in the meantime, established the Mount Cuba (Botanic) Park in Delaware, also a foundation trust by Mrs. Copland of the Du Pont family. It contains examples of the entire flora of the east coast of North America. For some years now, this park has been opened to the public and is well worth visiting.