Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Herbaceous Perennial

Astrantia minor

small black masterwort

A clump-forming perennial to around 30cm tall with palmate basal leaves divided into seven to nine lanceolate, coarsely-toothed leaflets. Small white to pale pink flowerheads up to around 2cm across are borne singly or in twos or threes on slender stems in summer

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or East–facing or South–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Apiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Astrantia are clump-forming herbaceous perennials with palmately lobed basal leaves and branched, erect, wiry stems bearing compact umbels of tiny flowers surrounded by a rosette of showy bracts
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Best grown in moist, fertile, humus-rich soil in sun or partial shade but will tolerate drier conditions

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame as soon as seed is ripe or propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead before seed is ripe to prevent self-seeding

Pests

May be susceptible to astrantia leaf miner

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.