Operation Plant Swap is a success! At the end of the growing season last year I switched all my astilbes and daylilies around. After neighbors removed more trees (some damaged in storms) my astilbes were getting fried in the afternoon sun on the east side of our backyard. Meanwhile on the west side, the oaks are getting bigger and have been shading out the daylilies in that flowerbed and they were getting stingy with the blooms.
We had a dry spell at the end of summer and some of my astilbes didn’t look like they were even alive when I moved what was left of them, but they all appear to be coming up nicely in their new location.
Astilbes can grow in full sun, but you have to remember to water them or the leaves get brown and crispy and the plants can die back. They are happier in part-shade or at least protected from the afternoon sun.
I also hadn’t divided any of them in over 10 years, so hopefully by doing that and by giving them a much shadier location they will be rejuvenated.