perennial

Masterwort

Astrantia major

Climate-suitable non-native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Partial shade

Soil moisture

average, moisture-retentive

Heat tolerance

Up to about 34°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -30°C

Waterlogging tolerance

3/5

Drought tolerance

2/5

Mature size

0.5–0.8 m tall, 0.5 m spread

Seasonal interest

Early to midsummer · Pink white

Maintenance

low

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 4/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Scorches badly in hot dry positions.

Toxicity: none

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name: Astrantia major L.
Family: Apiaceae (Apiales)
Rank and status: species · accepted
GBIF record: Taxon 3034915

Recorded as introduced in: Baltic States, Belgium, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Flemish Region, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Newfoundland, Northern Ireland and 8 further regions

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

Astrantia major, the great masterwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to central and eastern Europe. Growing up to 90 cm (35 in) tall by 45 cm (18 in) broad, it is an herbaceous perennial, much used in gardens.

Description from Wikipedia — Astrantia major (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

United Kingdom: climate-suitable
United States: climate-suitable
Australia: climate-suitable

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Nathan MacInnes · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Where to buy

Real retailers serving UK. Garden Forward publishes no prices of its own — each link opens the retailer's own search results, where their current price and stock are shown.

Search Sarah Raven for Astrantia major
Perennials, bulbs and seed, delivered across the UK.
Search Farmer Gracy for Astrantia major
Bulbs and perennials shipped direct from Dutch growers.
Search Ashridge Nurseries for Astrantia major
Bare-root trees, hedging and fruit in the dormant season.
Search Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants for Astrantia major
Specialist hardy perennial nursery.
Search Marshalls Garden for Astrantia major
Fruit, vegetable plants and seed.
Search British Wildflower Meadow Seeds for Astrantia major
Native wildflower and meadow seed.

No affiliate relationship is in place with these retailers, so nothing here earns Garden Forward a commission. Search links checked 2026-09-17. Availability of a species is never a reason it is recommended.

Companion palettes

Not currently in a sample palette.

Climate-resilient alternatives

Data sources

Taxonomy and native range: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Species description: Wikipedia — Astrantia major
Photograph: Nathan MacInnes · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Growing guidance: Practitioner horticultural estimates pending expert review

Botanical record checked 2026-09-17 · growing guidance last reviewed 2026-06-01 · confidence high

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.