Achillea

ASTRANTIA MAJOR 137
‘Rose Symphony’ (‘Rosensymphonie’) is a wonderfully handsome plant with
rosy pink flowers with a silver collar of bracts. Plants are about 2' (60 cm) tall.
‘Ruby Cloud’ is a seed-propagated cultivar with red to purple flowers, growing
to 28" (70 cm).
‘Sunningdale Variegated’ is most handsome in the spring, when the margins
of the light green leaves are splashed with yellow and cream; the variegation
fades in summer. A better landscape plant than a cut flower.
Additional Species
Astrantia carniolica is available as ‘Rubra’, a purple- to maroon-flowered plant.
Plants are a little shorter than A. major and have darker foliage.
Astrantia maxima bears wonderfully handsome pink flowers on vigorous
plants. Unfortunately, the supply is low and the price for plants is therefore high.
When prices decline, more flowers should appear in the market.
Pests and Diseases
Aphids are the most common pests, although thrips and spider mites can also be
a problem. If plants are allowed to dry out, physiological problems such as leaf
margin die-back occur. Astrantia is considered highly susceptible to nematode
galls caused by Meloidogyne hapla (LaMondia 1996).
Grower Comments
“Astrantia can be difficult to germinate. It is typically a cold germinator and needs
a period of low temperature to induce germination. Germination will tend to be
erratic over the last 21–30 days. For this reason, it is sometimes better to germinate
this variety in late fall.” Corky Kane, Germania Seed Company, Chicago, Ill.
“My favorite seed variety is Astrantia hybrid ‘Rainbow’—it has a nice mix of
colors, very long stems, and blooms a long time, with good-sized blooms, very
productive. The darker colors in this mix bloom earlier than other reds and
medium pinks for me.” Janet Foss, J. Foss Garden Flowers, Everett, Wash.
“Surface sow [Astrantia] on medium, then cold treat for 6–8 weeks. Germination
rate is usually quite high if seed is fresh. Germinate at 68–70F, then lower
temps to 55F once the seedlings have their first true set of leaves. Lower growingon
temps will give you a good root system. If you’re planting for cuts, use a semishaded
area or shade cloth in full sun for stems long enough to cut.” Jennifer
Judson-Harms, Cricket Park Gardens, New Hampton, Iowa.
Reading
Bullivant, E. 1989. Dried Fresh Flowers from Your Garden. Pelham Books/Stephen
Greene Press, London.
LaMondia, J. A. 1996. Response of additional herbaceous perennial ornamentals
to Meloidogyne hapla. J. of Nematology 28(4):636–638.