Astrantia major 'BURGUNDY MANOR'

Masterwort may be considered an inconspicuous perennial, but the truth is that if you observe its beauty from up close and without comparison to most other bold-coloured and large-flowered trendy perennials, you will definitely find its unusual beauty. As if unique? Literally! It is the only species of its genus. Masterwort is our native perennial, and it is at home throughout the whole Europe, including Spain and Great Britain, where it is loved and abundantly used in perennial beds bringing extraordinary architecture thanks to its attractively shaped leaves and uncommon flowers.

Burgundy Manor is a deeply coloured great masterwort variety from England where it was bred and introduced by Gill Richardson in 2008. It is a medium-tall perennial with deep maroon flowers. Paradoxically, the most striking are the ray-shaped bracts, while short stems with true, tiny flowers pointing upwards in a dome-shape habit form an inflorescence simply called a pincushion. Flowering begins in early June and lasts for 4-6 weeks. The stems are strong and reach between 60 and 80 cm.

Another feature making sure this plant is worth it even before flowering, are its broadly palmate leaves. They are deciduous, deep green, slightly glossy, distinctly notched at margins, and maroon-flushed when young. If they are exhausted after the first heavy blooming, cut back the entire clump just above the ground level, and within a few weeks you can expect a whole new clump with fresh new foliage and later on a second flush of flowers.

Masterwort is a reliable and fairly trouble-free perennial that is generally unpalatable to pests. It likes light shade or filtered sunlight, but will do great in full sun, too, if watered occasionally – it hates drying out completely. It can self-seed readily so unless you want it to spread on its own, remove spent flowers immediately to prevent seeds from ripening. Masterwort likes nutritious, moist soils of preferably neutral to alkaline pH, but once established it tolerates short dry spells. Fully hardy to approx. -34 °C. (USDA zone 4).

Last update 29-05-2024