Astrantia major Rosea - Masterwort

Astrantia major Rosea is a delightful form of this pretty cottage perennial with pink flowers.  Also known as masterwort. This flower seems to emerge one summer day in the garden, its unusual delicate flowers, in an English pink shade, also have hints of green. Its timeless charm is on display throughout the summer. Native to our mountainous regions, it has simple grace and an accommodating nature. It blends beautifully with all pastel blooms in perennial beds and looks great in dried or fresh bouquets.

Astrantia major, native to central and eastern Europe, belongs to the Apiaceae family (formerly known as the Umbellifers), it is a distant relative of the carrot. The bushy and loose habit elegant flowers. The plant forms a clump 60 cm (24in) high when in bloom, 45 cm (18in) for the foliage, and 45 cm (18in) wide. The foliage is dense, composed of deciduous palmate leaves, with 5 deep lobes, lanceolate, toothed, green, and strongly veined. The flowers appear from June to August, sometimes even in September, at the top of very stiff stems. In this 'Rosea' form, they are composed of dozens of small flowers in soft and mixed shades, ranging from white to pink and dark green, surrounded by a collar of large white bracts tinged with pink and pointed with green. The foliage appears in spring and disappears in winter.

Easy to grow, the Astrantia major Rosea is a very floriferous plant that forms magnificent, spectacular displays in front of a dark hedge. It is also a cut flower with an exceptionally long vase life.  To successfully grow this plant, simply avoid an exposed position (midday sun) if your soil is a little dry. This ancient plant, very popular in contemporary gardens, requires little maintenance and thrives even where the garden is not maintained. It is particularly well suited to the 'cottage' style, in planted in drifts, as its flowers, very complementary to ornamental grasses, provide texture. You can also create large rustic displays along herbaceous borders, and of course, create lovely fresh or dried floral compositions. It pairs perfectly with many perennials but also with roses, in natural and/or romantic settings.

Tip: Combine several varieties to create a beautiful colour palette.