Leaf
Alain Bigou, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Great masterwort
Astrantia major L.
Also known as: Astrantia, Masterwort
Family: Apiaceae
40 to 80 cm tall
Damp meadows, light woodland, gardens, moist soils
Flowering: June – August
Part shade
Hardy to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
What look like its petals are actually bracts surrounding a tiny central umbel.
🍃 Leaves
Palmate, deeply cut into 5-7 toothed lobes
🌸 Flowers
Small umbels surrounded by a ruff of pointed white-pink bracts
🍎 Fruits
Small ribbed achenes
🪵 Bark
Upright clump, thin branching stems
🗺️ Distribution
Central and Eastern Europe, Massif Central and the Alps; found in damp mountain meadows in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Star-shaped umbels surrounded by bracts, rich in nectar, visited by a wide diversity of insects including many beetles.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Partly shaded, moist beds, unusual cut flower; many cultivars with coloured bracts.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No significant toxicity known.
🌿 Other Apiaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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