Astrantia: location, winter hardiness & the most beautiful masterwort varieties

Astrantia are especially popular for their wild perennial character and exceptional filigree flowers. Their appearance makes them well-suited for breaking up any flowerbed.

Masterwort (Astrantia) is currently on trend and can also be used to adorn a variety of bouquets. In addition, the perennial tends to self-propagate and spread in suitable locations. In this article, you’ll learn how to optimally integrate Astrantia into your garden and what properties it brings.

Astrantia: flowering time, origin and characteristics

Masterwort is classified under the family of umbelliferae (Apiaceae). The best-known species of the genus, the great masterwort (Astrantia major), is known as starflower, woodnail, or reedthistle, depending on the region. Of the 9 species of the genus, the Bavarian masterwort (Astrantia bavarica), red masterwort (Astrantia carniolica), great masterwort, and the lesser masterwort (Astrantia minor) occur in central Europe. These 4 species are perfect for cultivation in our gardens. The natural habitat of the great masterwort includes alpine meadows and high herbaceous meadows, as well as semi-shaded woodland edges with calcareous, moderately nitrogen-rich, fresh to moist soils.

These deciduous, perennial perennials grow to about 40 to 70 cm tall, depending on the variety, and have a horsty growth pattern. They form tall, glabrous stems that branch toward the end, each bearing a flower spike. The leaf shapes differ within the genus. The mostly glossy green leaves of the great masterwort are five- to seven-lobed and coarsely serrated. The basal foliage is usually larger than that on the stem. Astrantia‘s numerous flowers are assembled in umbels and surrounded by a few radiate bracts, which are white, pink or reddish in colour, depending on the variety. Elongated split fruit develops from the fertilised flowers.

The total insect visitation of the Astrantia is relatively sparse. However, a wide variety of insects from butterflies to bees and flies to beetles can be observed on the masterwort. The latter are the main pollinators of its flowers. The great masterwort also represents an important food source for the caterpillars of two butterfly species.

When does Astrantia bloom? Depending on the species, the flowering period of the masterwort begins as early as May and extends into September due to its remontant behaviour. So you can enjoy the beautiful sight of Astrantia for a very long time.

The most beautiful species and varieties

There is a range of different coloured varieties of masterwort, which originate from the Astrantia major species. The most beautiful and popular of these are presented below. Most of the below varieties bloom from June to July and again in September.

• Astrantia major ˈAbbey Roadˈ: the flowers of this variety are dark purple. It reaches a height of 60-70 cm and is one of the best of the newer Astrantia varieties.

• Astrantia major ˈSunningdale Variegatedˈ: a distinctive feature here is the cream-coloured markings on the leaves, which change throughout the year. The flowers appear in a delicate white-pink tone. Its growth height is 60 – 90 cm.

• Astrantia major ˈMoulin Rougeˈ: the crimson bracts of ˈMoulin Rougeˈ have purple tips. This variety is not only an excellent bedding perennial, but also impresses with its excellent form. It reaches a height of 40-50 cm.

• Astrantia major ˈShaggyˈ: This masterwort is also known as ˈMargery Fishˈ and bears silvery-white flower heads with greenish tips to the bracts. It grows 50 – 70 cm tall.

• Astrantia major ˈRomaˈ: The flower colouration of this variety is very multifaceted and varies from dusky pink to silvery pink to strong pink. It grows between 40 – 60cm tall.

• Astrantia major ˈFlorenceˈ: The flowers of this unusual and richly flowering variety are silvery, pink and lavender in colour. It also reaches 40 – 60 cm.
• Astrantia major ˈElmbloodˈ: The variety is known for its rather compact growth with a height of about 40 cm and has beautiful, bright wine-red coloured flowers.

Planting Astrantia

Before planting Astrantia, a suitable location must be found that meets the needs of this umbellifer. These perennials are most comfortable in bright woodland edges and damp outdoor areas. The soil should be kept constantly fresh to moist and preferably calcareous or at least neutral and moderately nutritious. Loamy, humus-rich soils are suitable due to their good water storage capacity. Astrantia copes well with the root penetration of the soil by neighbouring plants. The location should be shaded or semi-shaded – full sun should be avoided. As far as socialising is concerned, masterwort can be planted in smaller groups of around 3 to 10 plants, keeping a distance of around 45 cm between them.

Outdoors, masterwort is either sown in autumn or planted between April and May. If you cultivate the seedlings themselves, there are a few things to consider. Since these perennials are cold germinators, they require cold treatment for germination. Therefore, it is most useful either to sow the seeds directly into open ground or to grow them in pots in a sheltered place from February onwards. For sowing in pots, is best to use a high-quality sowing soil, which is still mixed with a little lime for optimal conditions. For this purpose, our Plantura Organic Herb & Seedling Compost which ensures pronounced root growth in young plants due to the optimally balanced nutrient ratio, is ideal. For the next steps, proceed as follows:

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• Sow in open ground in autumn or March
• Fill lime-sowing soil mixture into sowing tray or pots
• Lightly press the substrate and distribute one or several seeds per pot on top
• Do not cover the seeds of this light germinator with soil
• The substrate should always be kept moist
• Germination after approx. 4 – 6 weeks at temperatures of 5 – 12 °C
• Transplant several closely seeded plants at the cotyledon stage
• Plant out strong young plants with a well-developed root system

Companion planting Astrantia: Masterwort can be combined with many other plants in semi-shaded beds. Combining it with plantain lilies (Hosta), lady’s mantle (Alchemilla), bergenia (Bergenia), false goat’s beard (Astilbe) or foxglove (Digitalis) creates a beautiful overall picture.

The right care

Care measures for Astrantia plants are not very complex and are uncomplicated. The better the location is tailored to the requirements of the plant, the less complex the care will be.

Watering, fertilising, etc.

In a sunny location and especially on light soil, masterwort must be watered very regularly, as it needs a consistently slightly moist substrate. Therefore, sufficient watering should be ensured on hot days.

With a one-off application of compost or fertiliser in the spring, you can supply Astrantia with essential nutrients. Since the perennial has only moderate nutrient needs, further fertilisation is not necessary. If you do not have or cannot obtain compost, our Plantura Flower Food is a great option. Its primarily organic composition ensures slow release of nutrients and maintains soil fertility.

Pruning masterwort

Pruning is not absolutely necessary. However, you can deadhead the flowers right after the first bloom to encourage reblooming in September. The withered flowers should generally be removed if you want to prevent the masterwort from running wild through seeding.
It is also worth mentioning the high floristic value of Astrantia: The charming flowers make for excellent cut flowers and complement any summer bouquet with their extravagance.

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Is Astrantia hardy?

Masterwort comes under winter hardiness zone Z6. This means they can withstand temperatures down to about – 23 °C. In harder winters, slight damage can occur, which is why a sheltered location should always be chosen for the perennial. Nothing can happen to Astrantia if covered with leaves or brushwood.

Propagation

Propagating Astrantia is a straightforward matter, because the perennial usually takes propagation into its own hands if the dead flower heads are left on the plant. However, those who want to manually propagate the plant can do so either by sowing or dividing the masterwort. It should be noted that the seedlings propagated by sowing need more time to develop into vigourous perennials with abundant flowers.

Astrantia seeds should be harvested on a dry day in autumn. The rest of the procedure for sowing is the same as already described above.

Division of the perennial should take place in the spring. To do this, carefully dig up the root ball and expose it. Now divide the plant, for example, with a spade, and reinsert the individual parts maintaining the optimum planting distance, before watering.

Tip: Seedlings are usually not true to variety. For varietal propagation, the perennial must be divided in the spring to obtain seedlings of the same variety the following year.

Is masterwort poisonous?

Astrantia contains ingredients such as rosmarinic acid, flavonoids, flavonol glycosides and saponins. With these substances, tolerance or the occurrence of symptoms after poisoning strongly depends on the quantity. Saponins are only present in a minimal proportion of 0.1 to 0.2%.
Due to the healing properties of masterwort in respiratory diseases, wounds and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, the plant is even used in folk medicine.
However, consumption of larger quantities by humans and animals is definitely not advised.