Astrantia

Found wild in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus these are really herbaceous perennials and should be familiar to many as ‘Pin-cushion’ plants. In reasonable soil, either in full sun or part shade they produce mounds of soft lobed foliage with taller flower stems in a variety of hues. They are hungry feeders and slow to form big clumps. Good with Alliums, Actea and Heuchera for summer borders. Cut them back by two thirds after their first flowering each year to encourage a second flush late in the same year. Useful cut flower, with an unusual fragrance. All these are supplied as divisions of larger field grown clumps.