BBC Gardeners' World

Plant details

• Common Name: Masterwort
• Genus: Astrantia
• Species: major
• Cultivar: 'Roma'
• Skill Level: beginner
• Exposure: full sun, partial shade
• Hardiness: hardy
• Soil type: clay/heavy, moist
• Height: 0.45m
• Spread: 0.9m

A surprisingly hardy plant, with a delicate appearance, Astrantia produces branched heads of neat pincushion flowers surrounded by a ruff of greenish wine red bracts. It likes a moisture retentive soil and can make good ground cover planted in a group. It self seeds well. Seedlings often appear around the parent plant which can be transplanted to another part of the garden or given to friends. Cut back the flower stems as soon as they start to turn brown to encourage a second flush of blooms later in the season.