“ASTRANTIA MAJOR SNOWSTAR”

GREAT BLACK MASTERWORT

·         CATEGORY                                      GREAT BLACK MASTERWORT

·         VARIETY                                           “ASTRANTIA MAJOR SNOWSTAR”

·         DESCRIPTION                                  WHITE PINCUSHION-LIKE HEADS SURROUNDED BY GREEN-TIPPED WHITE BRACTS

·         MAIN PICTURE                                STOCK PHOTO ONLY                                          

·         HEIGHT                                             80 CM

·         BLOOMS                                            SUMMER

·         TYPE                                                  BARE ROOT PERENNIAL

·         SIZE                                                    GRADE 1

·         QUANTITY PER UNIT                     1

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

THESE ARE BARE ROOT PERENNIAL PLANTS (DORMANT ROOTS) AND NOT FLIMSY PLUG PLANTS.

THE MAIN PICTURE IS A STOCK PHOTO ONLY AND SHOWS HOW THE PLANTS WILL LOOK WHEN FULLY MATURE. A BARE ROOT PERENNIAL IS SENT (DORMANT ROOT)

ASTRANTIA ARE CLUMP-FORMING WITH PALMATELY LOBED BASAL LEAVES (LIKE A HAND WITH THE FINGERS EXTENDED) AND BRANCHED, ERECT, WIRY STEMS BEARING COMPACT UMBRELS OF TINY FLOWERS SURROUNDED BY A ROSETTE OF SHOWY BRACTS.

“ASTRANTIA SNOWSTAR” IS A HERBACEOS PERENNIAL TO 80CM TALL, WITH DEEPLY-DIVIDED LEAVES. BRANCHED STEMS BEAR LARGE PINCUSHION HEADS OF WHITE FLOWERS, SURROUNDED BY GREEN-TIPPED WHITE BRACTS AND PRODUSED IN ABUNDANCE FROM JULY TO AUGUST.

THIS IS A COTTAGE GARDEN FAVOURITE AND MAKES A GREAT CHOICE FOR PLANTING AT A WOODLAND EDGE IN DAPPLED SHAPE, GROWING UNDER THE CANOPIES OF TREES OR PLANTING EN MASSE IN THE MOIST GROUND AROUND NATURAL PONDS AND STREAMS. THEY WILL TOLERATE DRIER SOILS AS LONG AS THE PLANTS ARE MULCHED.

 “ASTRANTIA MAJOR CLARET” HAS RECEIVED THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’S AWARD OF GARDEN MERIT (AGM) WHICH IS FOR PLANTS OF OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE.

AS ASTRANTIA DETER SLUGS, THEY CAN ALSO BE COMBINED WITH LARGE-LEAVED PLANTS SUCH AS HOSTAS TO ACT AS AN ORGANIC METHOD OF CONTROLLING SLUG DAMAGE. A GREAT CHOICE FOR CONTEMPORARY-STYLE PLANTINGS.

AFTER FLOWERING “ASTRANTIA MAJOR SNOWSTAR” CAN BE REJUVENATED BY CUTTING THEM BACK CLOSE TO THE GROUND, FRESH NEW FOLIAGE AND A LATE CROP OF FLOWERS START APPEARING SHORTLY AFTER. PLANTS DO NOT SPREAD FAR, BUT ARE WELL-KNOWN FOR SELF SEEDING

CARE OF BARE ROOT PERENNIALS

REMOVE THE PLANT FROM ITS PACKAGING AND CAREFULLY REMOVE ALL LOOSE PACKING MATERIAL. SOAK THE ROOTS IN A BUCKET OF WARM WATER FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. EXAMINE THE ROOT SYSTEM AND TRIM AWAY ANY ROTTED, MOULDY OR BROKEN ROOTS WITH A SHARP KNIFE. DIG A HOLE DEEP AND WIDE ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE ROOTS TO FAN OUT FROM THE CROWN AT ABOUT 45º ANGLE. IT SOMETIMES HELPS TO MAKE A CONE-SHAPED MOUND OF SOIL IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HOLE AND SPREAD THE ROOTS AROUND IT.

REMEMBER THE CROWN OF MOST PERENNIALS SHOULD BE ROUGHLY LEVEL WITH THE SURROUNDING GROUND. COVER THE ROOTS WITH SOIL AND PRESS DOWN FIRMLY.MAKE SURE ALL THE ROOTS-ESPECIALLY THOSE UNDER THE CROWN-ARE IN CONTACT WIH THE SOIL. WATER THE PLANT WELL AND ADD A LAYER OF MULCH (SOIL COVERING)