Astrantia major 'Primadonna'

RHS Plant Profile
masterwort 'Primadonna'

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Herbaceous Perennial
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'Primadonna' is a herbaceous perennial with leaves palmately divided and stems bearing branching sprays of star-like posies of red-mauve flower clusters each with with a ruff of reddish purple bracts from May to the end of September.

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
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)
H4

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Apiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming, Columnar upright
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
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Thrives in moist well-drained soil in partial shade. Flowers longer than raditional varieties.

Propagation

Division

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Ground cover

Pruning

Cut back after flowering for fresh new foliage and second flowering. Deadhead before seed ripens to prevent self-seeding

Pests

Slug and snail resistant

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews