Know your flowers- Astrantia ( the charming Masterwort)

Astrantia (commonly known as “masterwort” ), the name Astrantia is derived from ‘aster’ which means ‘star’ in Latin and refers to the shape of the flowers and the name Masterwort is derived from the medieval Latin word “magistrantia”, which came from the Latin word “magister” meaning “master” or “teacher”.

Astrantia produce long, wiry stems and compact clusters of star-like flowers with an interesting and beautiful shape. Each flower is actually a small umbel composed of numerous tiny flowers, surrounded by petal-like bracts. They bloom in spring and summer in shades of white, pink, purple and red, attracting butterflies and other garden visitors.

Astrantia Cultivars

There are over 50 cultivars available today. The most popular cultivars are ‘Roma’, ‘Superstar’, ‘Bloody Mary’, ‘Moulin Rouge’, ‘Shaggy’ ‘Claret’, ‘Alba’, ‘Buckland’, ‘Gill Richardson’, ‘Hadspen Blood’, ‘Star of Fire’, ‘Rosea’, ‘Rubra’, ‘Lola’ and ‘Venice’.

Benefits & Uses

The plant is considered to have medicinal properties and is used to treat ailments such as migraine, colds, dyspnoea, wounds and ulcers.

Astrantia is very popular as an ornamental plant among lovers of interesting flowers. The flowers can be dried and used in arrangements, too.

Also read about : flowering plants with medicinal value

Want shooting stars in your garden? Well Astrantia gets close in sparkling white, pale pink, or the raspberry shades of an astral nebula. They are a superb choice for filling in voids between shrubs and trees in the backyard; their dark green, palm like leaves have beautiful form and texture, and they produce masses of lovely flowers for months. They are splendid in naturalised areas and in woodland and cottage gardens, where they add sparkling colour and attract butterflies. They’re ideal for the cutting garden, too, as their fanciful blooms and rich foliage look spectacular in both formal and informal floral arrangements. Astrantia flowers may also be dried and their beauty enjoyed long after the blooming season has ended. Make astrantias part of your garden scheme and enjoy beautiful blooms all summer and beyond.