Greater Masterwort (Astrantia major) Growing & Care Guide for Gardeners
Article by Dean Ravenscroft, Ph.D. - Updated 31st Jan 2024
- Plant Characteristics: Features delicate, star-like blooms surrounded by bracts that come in shades of pink, white, and green. These intricate flowers are held above a clump of deeply lobed, green foliage.
- Growing & Care: Prefers moist, well-drained soil in partial shade. It's a hardy plant that can tolerate full sun in cooler climates. Regular watering during dry periods will help maintain its lush appearance.
- Tips for New Gardeners: A great plant for beginners looking to add unique textures to their garden. Deadheading will encourage more blooms. It's generally pest-free and easy to care for.
Astrantia major is a flowering plant belonging to the Apiaceae family, also referred to as the celery or parsley family.
It is native to southern Europe and is commonly natively found growing wild in meadows, forest clearings, and near streams.
The plant is also known by its common name as Masterwort. It has a bushy habit and typically takes two to five years to reach its full potential.
Astrantia major 'Ruby Cloud' photograph by F. D. Richards.
Gardeners typically grow it as part of garden borders or woven between other flowering plants in the flower bed to produce a woodland or cottage-like garden landscape.
The Astrantia major plant is also highly valued for use in cut flower bouquets and as a butterfly attractant.
This flowering plant can grow to be about 60 centimeters (2 feet) tall, and each flower-head features a dense arrangement of greenish-white and pink flowers encased in long, white, paper-like petals.
It blooms in late spring to early summer. The stems of the Astrantia major are mostly leafless, only growing a cluster of deep green basal leaves that are deeply divided; these grow up to 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) long.
Gardener's HQ Guide to Growing Greater masterwort
Astrantia major grows best in North American hardiness zones 4 to 7 (up to 9), and is thus Hardy throughout Europe.
It prefers to be grown in full to partially sunny areas.
It can be grown from seed sown directly into the ground or spread from buds grown near the base, but it is not considered a fast spreader or invasive.
Masterwort grows best in moist, well-draining soils that are rich in organic matter and somewhat sandy.
Though tolerant of most soil types, they do require a moderate amount of watering to thrive, and do not like dry or humid environments.
Astrantia major may be deadheaded early to prolong bloom time and also to prevent self-seeding in the surrounding soil.
Clumps of the flowering plant can be divided up to encourage better growth.
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Astrantia major Growing and Care Guide
- Scientific Name: Astrantia major
- Common Name: Greater Masterwort
- Growing Zone: USA: 4 to 9; UK Hardiness Zone H7 (considered hardy to temperatures lower than -20°C / -4°F).
- Life Cycle / Plant Type: Perennial
- Plant Height (Inches): 18 to 24
- Plant Spread (Inches): 10 to 18
- Time of Bloom: Late spring through early summer
- Flower Details: Red
- Leaf Foliage: Green, Purple
- Fruit:
- Growth Form: Upright / erect
- Best Light Conditions: Full sunlight
- Rate of Growth: Quick
- Suitable Soil Types: Loamy, Neutral, Well drained
- Soil Moisture: Moist
- Care:
- Level of Maintenance: Medium
- Propagation: Seed in containers in a cold frame as soon as ripe or division in spring
- How to Prune: Cut back after flowers have faded to tidy and encourage a fresh flush of leaf growth
- Pests: May be affected by slugs and aphids
- Diseases: Powdery mildews
- Can Attract:
- Tolerant of: Wet Soil
- Best Garden Use: Alpine garden, Border, En masse, Seashore, Woodland garden
- Family: Apiaceae.
- Closely Related Species: Carrots, Parsley, and Celery.
- Miscellaneous: Attractive foliage, Suitable for cut flowers, Suitable for dried flowers, Attractive flowers / blooms
- Genus Detail: Astrantia
- Further Reading and References: Here and Here
I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Astrantia major. You may also enjoy the following Gardener's HQ growing guides: How to grow Myrrhis and Pimpinella plants.
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