Uncommon, understated Astrantias: recent introductions offer new bloom color that work well in combinations

摘要

Astrantias and I met in the pages of a mail-order catalog, where they were listed as plants of "quiet charms." That phrase piqued my curiosity. Was it a euphemism for unremarkable or insipid, or a modest way of saying delicately intriguing? I had tofind out, so I ordered one. When it flowered in my garden late the next May, I saw it had a lot more to offer than quiet charms. The blooms were intriguing, complex flowers--starburst-shaped pincushions surrounded by a ruff of white, pink, or deep red.Every blossom is actually many tiny, fertile flowers gathered in a miniature posy 1(1/2) to 2 inches wide, encircled by papery bracts. Each plant bears lots of those intricate flowers at a time, and they keep on coming; if deadheaded, Astrantias bloom from late May to fall in my Eugene, Oregon, garden. As if the flowers weren't enough, even the lobed, somewhat glossy foliage is attractive. Astrantia major, commonly known as masterwort, grows wild in the mountain meadows and wooded ravines of central andeastern Europe. If given rich, moist garden soil, it will thrive in full sun, but plants are most at home in the dappled shade at the edge of a cool woodland.