Astrantia major Star of Beauty - Masterwort

Astrantia major 'Star of Beauty' is a variety of masterwort that offers wonderful bicoloured flowering, made up of umbels of flowers in shades of pink-purple on a white-silvery background. Throughout the summer, long stems emerge from large palmate leaves, adorned with flowers which are like carved jewels. Astrantia major is a perennial accustomed to cottage gardens.  It is an easy-to-grow plant in cool and semi-shaded soil. 'Star of Beauty' also shows a beautiful vigour. Use its flowers in your dried or fresh bouquets.

Astrantia major, native to central and eastern Europe, belongs to the Apiaceae family (formerly known as Umbellifers), it is a distant relative of the carrot.  The bushy and somewhat loose habit enhances the elegance of its flowering. The plant forms a tuft of 60 cm (24in) in height 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, dentate, and strongly veined. The inflorescences in umbels appear from June to August-September, at the end of very stiff stems. They are composed of dozens of tiny purple-pink flowers with silver stamens, surrounded by a collar of large bracts, in shades ranging from pearly white to deeper pink-purple.

Astrantia major 'Star of Beauty' grows easily in humus-rich, moist and well-drained soil in sunny or semi-shaded positions, even in warm climates. This very trendy plant in contemporary gardens requires little maintenance, thriving even in neglected gardens. It combines beautifully with the pastel colours of foxgloves, panicle phlox, annual poppies, columbines, lungworts, ligularias... Combine it with perennials and roses in any style of garden: modern, natural or romantic. This variety also grows very well in pots.

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