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Apiaceae
Masterwort
Astrantia major
Courage and strength.
- Family
- Apiaceae
- Genus
- Astrantia
- Native to
- Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Caucasus
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 1.5-3 ft
- Sunlight
- part shade to full sun
- Soil
- moist, fertile, humus-rich
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 4-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- What looks like a single masterwort flower is actually a tight cluster of tiny florets surrounded by a papery, star-shaped collar of bracts called an involucre — an unusual structure even within the carrot family.
- The genus name Astrantia likely derives from the Latin 'aster' (star), referring to the star-shaped arrangement of the bracts, though some botanists trace it to 'magister' (master) via the plant's old medicinal reputation.
- Masterwort roots were used in Alpine folk medicine as a warming, stimulating remedy for digestive complaints and rheumatism — the root has a sharp, pungent taste similar to horseradish.
- Breeders have developed dozens of named cultivars in deep wine-red, rose-pink, and near-black colors, making masterwort one of the most hybridized cottage-garden perennials of the 21st century.
- The flowers are long-lasting as cut flowers and dry exceptionally well, retaining much of their color and structure — dried masterwort has been used in wreaths and arrangements for centuries.
Color meanings
0
strength
1
protection
2
good health