Astrantia major Star of Love - Masterwort

Astrantia 'Star of Love' is a variety of masterwort that stands out for the duration and abundance of its flowering. Forming a dense clump, this perennial is covered for over 4 months with a swarm of small umbels of white flowers nestled in bracts of red lilac to magenta mother-of-pearl. Astrantia major is a familiar perennial in cottage gardens, it is an easily successful native plant in any good, moisture-retaining garden soil. It is, of course, an excellent flower for both dried and fresh bouquets.

Astrantia major, native to central and eastern Europe, belongs to the Apiaceae family (formerly known as the Umbelliferae), and is a distant relative of the carrot. In the wild, it is found in mountainous areas, growing on clay-rich soils with a tendency towards limestone. It is a perennial plant whose above-ground vegetation develops in spring and disappears in winter. This wild masterwort is the origin of numerous cultivars and hybrids, including the beautiful 'Star of Love' variety, which is extremely floriferous.

The bushy and somewhat loose habit enhances the elegance of its flowering. The plant forms a clump of approximately 60 cm (24in) in flower height, 45 cm (18in) for the foliage, and 35 cm (14in) wide. The foliage is composed of palmate leaves, with 5 deep lobes, lanceolate, dentate, green and strongly veined. The inflorescences in umbels appear from June to September, in cloudy and very long-lasting umbels. Reaching 4-5 cm (2in) in diameter, they are composed of dozens of tiny flowers, surrounded by a collar that brings together large bracts beautifully coloured in deep red.

Perennial and robust, masterworts are a must in natural gardens. The elegant and refined flowers brighten up the shaded corners of the garden, and they are also widely used as cut flowers for their exceptional longevity. This Star of Love masterwort will find its place on the edge of a woodland, illuminating it with its discreet elegance, alongside Geranium phaeum or blue hostas, for example. Very popular in contemporary gardens, this perennial requires little maintenance and thrives even where the garden is not well maintained. It also pairs beautifully with the pastel colours of foxgloves, columbines, lungworts, etc.