Graceful Umbrellas Of Astrania. Varieties

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Every year, new varieties of Astrantia appear, differing in brightness of colors, height, originality of the combination of dark foliage and unusual shape of inflorescences with bizarre stipules around the umbrellas. How to choose a worthy option?

Diversity

Thanks to Western breeders, the horticultural market is saturated with many varieties, hybrids of large Astrania. Let's list the most popular ones. In terms of growth, they can be conditionally divided into two groups:

1. Low (from 40 to 65 cm in height):

• Moulin Rouge. Red-wine inflorescences look original against the background of darker wrappers. In the shade, the colors fade. Blooms from June to late summer.

• Abbey Road. Large purple-red stars are edged with dark stipules. Opens from mid-summer to September. Feels better in shady places. In the sun, abundant watering is necessary.

• Lars. Saturated scarlet inflorescences are surrounded by lighter shells. The long flowering period from June to October is a godsend for gardeners. Perfectly tolerates light partial shade.

• Claret. The stars with stipules are painted in wine-red tones. Flowering lasts from June to early October. Prefers shady habitats.

• Snow Star. White inflorescences are covered with slightly greenish wrappers. Raspberry anthers look original on a light background. The Snow Star blooms from mid-June to September. Loves openwork partial shade.

2. Tall (over 65 cm tall):

• Hadspen Blood. Vigorous bushes 70-80 cm in size with ruby inflorescences that open from late spring to late summer. Grows well in partial shade.

• Buckland. Delicate pink stars in green-silver wrappers create a stunning sight among the dark green foliage. Bushes 65-70 cm high delight the eye with flowering throughout the summer. Feels great in partial shade and in the sun.

• Primadonna. Scarlet inflorescences in lighter stipules bloom from June to September. Powerful bushes 70 cm tall are not whimsical to lighting.

• Rosea. Bright pink stars with identical wraps are pleasing to the eye from June to late September. Plant height reaches 70 cm. Loves the sun, partial shade.

• Roma. The pinkish silver of the flower umbrellas sets off the lighter color of the stipules. New buds bloom throughout the summer. Height of stems 70 cm. Prefers openwork partial shade.

• Symphony. On the tops of the shoots 65-75 cm from the ground, graceful pink stars with delicate light-colored wrappers flare up from June to September. Best lighting conditions moderate shade.

• Margery Fish. Inflorescences of a beige shade with a light green color open all summer on bushes with a height of 75-80 cm.

We would like to highlight the latest achievement of breeders, the variegated variety Sunningdale Variegated. On a dark green background, golden-cream uneven stripes stand out clearly. Bushes 60 cm tall. Inflorescences of a delicate lavender shade bloom from early summer to autumn.

All of these options will decorate any flower garden, will take their rightful place among other wonderful representatives. The choice is yours.

Areas of use

Astrantia large is used in:

• landscape design;

• bouquet compositions;

• traditional medicine.

Let's reveal the advantages of a wondrous flower in more detail.

Garden and bouquet direction

Astrantia bushes go well with phlox, poppies, daylilies, echinacea, bells, irises, scabiosa, geraniums, ornamental grasses, burnet, catchment. A sophisticated mixborder in the shade will be decorated with unpretentious varieties of a star in the vicinity of hosts, ferns, lungwort, astilbe.

The curtains look great against the background of the lawn in solitary or group plantings. Low-growing varieties are suitable for placement in a rock garden next to stones, ground cover plants. Some of them are suitable for container growing (Claret).

Cut branches stand in a vase for a long time, delighting the owners with openwork, shimmering umbrellas. Florists dry star inflorescences for winter bouquets that do not lose their decorative effect. They blend beautifully with other colors in complex compositions.

We will consider the use of Astrantia large in folk medicine in the next article.