Description

Astrantia – Hattie’s Pincushion – Masterwort

There are about 10 species of clump forming herbaceous perennials, in this genus.  They are found in alpine woods and meadows from Europe to Western Asia.  They produce loose basal rosettes of soft mid-green palmately lobed or palmate leaves.  It bears erect delicate umbels of small, 5 petalled flowers, surrounded by ruff-like collar of pointed papery bracts are borne in spray’s held above the foliage.  Well suited in a woodland garden, on stream banks or in a moist border.  The flowers are useful in dried floral arrangements.

Grow near edge of stream or ponds where soil is always moist, preferably humus rich in sun or partial shade.  Divide in early spring.

Prone to gray mold, mildew, slugs and aphids.

Astrantia major subsp. involucrate – Astrantia major subsp. carinthiaca – Astrantia major var. involucrate – Masterwort – This variable clump forming perennial grows to 12-36” tall and spreads to 18” wide.  It produces 3 to 7 lobed, toothed, palmate basal leaves, 3-6” long.  It bears green and white bracts twice as long as the umbels, surround the small, green, white, purple-red, or pink intricately formed daisy like flowers carried in umbels ¾-1 ¼” wide almost throughout summer.

Zones 5-8