Astrantia

Common name is Masterwort

Best known for Popular Astrantia major (masterwort) including Astrantia major 'alba', a number of varieties are available for sale in the UK.

Varieties such as Astrantia Major 'Giant White' which is a tall growing cultivar reaching 90cm or perhaps Astrantia 'Moulin Rouge' which is a dark red flowering cultivar. Many earn a place in the garden

Astrantia prefer a shaded position and a humus rich soil they are a herbaceous, perennial, clump-forming plant with pincushion flowers in summer best known for the easy care .Most varieties make great architectural plants for your garden.

Astrantia Care

Needing care and attention while they are establishing themselves in the garden but once established they are quite low maintenance.

It is best to remove finished flower heads as these plants do not seed true. Astrantia have lovely umbels of starry flowers in a range of colours that are carried on stems above the foliage.

Astrantias have many uses in the garden as border plants, in massed plantings, pots and containers and in woodland settings.

For easy care remember that they enjoy full sun to partial shade and moist, humus rich, well-drained soils. They can be propagated by division or grown from seed. Astrantia make excellent cut flowers.

Astrantia Varieties

Although Astrantia major is probably the best known and with new hybrid species becoming available the colour range is from white to red

There are a wide variety of unusual and beautiful Astrantia cultivars including:

• Astrantia Roma. Striking deep pink flowers on tall stems rising from a mound of green foliage. Grows in well-drained soil in sun/partial shade. Flowers May-September. Grows to about 75 cm
• Astrantia Buckland A gorgeous plant with dusky pink flowers that bloom from May to July. Grows to 65 cm
• Astrantia Major. Flowers June-August. Grows to 30 cm and has interesting pinkish-green flowers, also look for Astrantia major 'claret' the Great Black Masterwort'.
• Astrantia Hadspen Blood Deep red flowers are standouts in the garden from June to September. Grows to 60cm high
• Astrantia Major Rubra Wonderful green, pink and red tinged flowers.
• Astrantia Major Claret Very dark red flowers on dark stems makes a wonderful contrast plant in the garden. Flowers May-July and grows to 65 cm.
• Astrantia Maxima Large pale pink flowers. Grows to 90cm tall.
• Astrantia Sunningdale This plant is grown more for its exciting cream/green variegated foliage than its flowers. The foliage brings the spring garden to life. The flowers are greenish white with a tin ge of pink. A lovely accent plant that grows to 60 cm.

Astrantia Plants and Species are available for sale from the following nurseries

SPECIAL PLANTS
Greenways Lane, Cold Ashton, Chippenham, Wilts SN14 8LA - Tel: 01225 891686
Specialties¬?: hardy Geraniums, Grasses, hardy Impatiens, conservatory plants, tender Impatiens, Salvias, Pelargoniums, Seeds, Gardening gloves, new introductions from around the world

CRÛG FARM PLANTS - Bleddyn & Sue Wynn-Jones,
Griffiths Crossing, Caernarfon, GWYNEDD, LL55 1TU - Telephone: (+44) 01248 670232
We are a small nursery on the North Wales coast, which specialised in introducing new plants into cultivation, from seeds collected on our world-wide expeditions. Which include shade plants, climbers, species Hydrangea, Araliaceae, rare trees & shrubs, Convallariaceae, herbaceous & bulbous.

CLAIRE AUSTIN HARDY PLANTS Hardy Plants
Edgebolton, Shawbury, Shropshire, SY4 4EL - Tel: 01939 251173 - FAX: 01939 251637
We are mail order specialists of herbaceous perennials, including bearded irises, herbaceous & tree peonies. The catalogue and website list over 700 different varieties.

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