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Delicate papery soft pink flowers which are held on wiry stems above attractive deeply lobed mid-green leaves. This delightful masterwort is a vigorous variety with a much longer flowering period than most pink or red varieties. It looks particularly fetching planted with grasses and is garden designer Piet Oudolf's favourite masterwort.

• Astrantias have been cultivated in Britain since the 16th century and have numerous common names such as melancholy gentleman, Hattie's pincushion and the more well known masterwort.
  

• Garden care: Incorporate plenty of organic matter when planting and water well in dry weather especially newly established plants. Lift and divide large clumps in early spring and apply a generous 5-7 cm mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around the plant. Divided specimens may take some time to establish since they don't like having their roots disturbed.