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 maxima – This clump forming perennial form the Caucasus grows to 24-36” tall and spreads to 12” wide.  It produces basal leaves to 1 ¼-4” long deeply divide almost to base into 3-5 lobes.  In early and mid summer it bears umbels 1 ½-2 ½” wide with sharp pointed, broad shell pink bracts each to 1 ¼” long surrounding tiny, soft pale pink flowers, are carried singly or in twos or threes.

Zones 5-8