These plants do well in much less than full sun which is a worthwhile attribute. Here are the possibilities for dark pink:

- Claret
- Moulin Rouge
- Abbey Road
- Hadspen Blood
- Ruby Wedding

You might want to check out a truly stunning variety of astrantia major - 'Star of Fire' - amazing pink bracts tipped with black.
I also have grown 'Shaggy' a large flowered pale pink/green version and the old favourites, astrantia major var.rosea, 'Ruby Wedding' and 'Roma'

As well there is a new variegated variety this year known as "Vanilla Gorilla".

Thanks very much for this info--very helpful. Could I ask two more questions?

Which in your list has the pinkest flowers that will make a show from a distance, in your opinion?

Can you suggest catalog sources for these in the US? My local nurseries are pretty basic. Thanks again.

The pinkest is Astrantia maxima, but I've read that it is not easiest to grow. The second pinkest is Roma. The varieties mentioned above are red or dark red.
As far as "making show from a distance" is concerned: none. Astrantias are to be behold at a close range. None of them will dazzle you from a distance. They have what I call a "quiet charm".

The pinkest is Astrantia maxima, but I've read that it is not easiest to grow. The second pinkest is Roma. The varieties mentioned above are red or dark red.
As far as "making show from a distance" is concerned: none. Astrantias are to be beheld at a close range. None of them will dazzle you from a distance. They have what I call a "quiet charm".

This post was edited by wieslaw59 on Wed, Jun 12, 13 at 13:42

'wieslaw' do I recall you saying that your experience with Astrantia includes mold or mildew or some other foliage problems? (Or maybe I am mixing you up with someone else?)

Man, they really are slow-growing, that's for sure. Mine have been in the ground for months and I'm still looking at 3 little leaves each. They look healthy, but I'm not expecting much this year from them.

3 different varieties, by the way.

This post was edited by funnthsun on Mon, Jun 10, 13 at 16:17

Rouge, they are subject to some kind of fungus which blemish the leaves. It comes here nearly each year. The best part of it: my sister-in-law thought it was some kind of variegation or something!.
Astrantias like a lot of water and need several years to show their potential. Roma is supposed to be sterile, other varieties seed freely if not supervised.

This post was edited by wieslaw59 on Mon, Jun 10, 13 at 18:08

'ginny' GW member scottyboipdx posted some wonderful pictures of his pink "Roma" Astrantia.

(See link below)

Here is a link that might be useful: pics of pink Astrantia

Planted astrantia star of fire and Roma just a few weeks ago and they are taking off. Not slow growing for me. I have a second Roma in drier location and its slower to grow. I think these appreciate moist soil.

I can recommend Roma as a pink and the usual third year "leap" applies. Any deadheading and Roma bloomed for me into fall, very long bloomer. Also, after a very late spring, my Roma is into the bud stage

Also second, that Astrantia looks great close up and disappears at long range. Maybe even lying on the ground would be an option, Roma looks great with the sun shining through. I always see them as mini fireworks, but that's just me.

A new variety 'Venice is in shades of pink to red/dark red according to various pictures. (Supposed to be a very prolific bloomer).I'll have some pictures, later on this summer.

Finally in my experience, as long as they're mulched they're more a partial shade, edge of meadow type of plants.

Man, they really are slow-growing, that's for sure. Mine have been in the ground for months and I'm still looking at 3 little leaves each.

I planted several "Astrantia" in July and August and maybe because of the late planting they weren't very vigorous. But of course this second season they have taken off. And here are its first flowers. (As others have mentioned the flowers are best appreciated close up)

This post was edited by rouge21 on Wed, Jun 12, 13 at 8:12

I have never grown astrantia but I am becoming more and more tempted. I tend to love anything in the umbellifer family in general.

Has anyone had luck starting it from seed? Does it need a prolonged cold period to germinate? Any problems with seed viability from commercially available seed?

For mail order sources in the US, check out Edelweiss Perennials, Digging Dog Nursery and Avant Gardens. I have used all three for many other plants and I can recommend them. Especially Edelweiss for their amazing selection, reasonable prices without horrendously exorbitant shipping costs and, most important, truly reliable quality and consistency.

ispahan, if you like the flowers of "Astrantia" then the nice thing about this plant is that it does not require full sun.

I did start maxima from seed and it took forever to germinate - over 18months....but proved quite a good plant once it got going. I suspect it is one of those that does OK planted as soon as it has been gathered but goes into deep dormancy if stored. If you do go the seed route, Ispahan, you will get much better results if you can persuade an astrantia owner to save some seeds and sow those. An easy job with a brown paper bag as the heads are getting dry and ripe.

I've been trying for three years to grow them from seed and I finally got them to sprout. I don't know the name, all I know is that there suppose to bloom red and white. Wintersowing and leaving them outside all year did the trick for me.

I know a macro doesn't give the big picture but Astrantia flowers are so beautiful up close.

Thought I'd throw in an update on the Astrantias I have growing in the yard. 'Roma' is still going strong and will probably do so till frost. A new one called 'Venice' seems to be a chip off the same block. 'Ruby Wedding' is long gone, so is 'Magnum Blush'.

The 'Venice' that I have, is not so much a red, as more a reddish version of the color of Geranium 'Patricia'. There are a few 'Patricia' blooms in the photo for comparison.

Now I must say that for a first year plant, 'Venice' is floriferous and has a tighter bloom habit compared to Roma but is also more showy than 'Roma'. 'Roma' as with all pale pinks washes out at any distance. I like them both for the long bloom season.

This is 'Roma'. Started blooming towards the end of June. So, bloom period approximately - three months.

I bought "Vanilla Gorilla" this year - couldn't care less about the flowers, it's the foliage I was after, fantastic green/white variegated leaves. It's puttering along, not really growing much but not necessarily declining by much, either, and in all fairness I did forget to water for a few spells after I planted them (um...sprinklers don't sprinkle unless the system is turned on...).

So far so good, but too soon to declare a success.

UPDATE

I love these plants. As others have noted that from a distance they get lost but closer up they are wonderful flowers that do well in (much) less than full sun and they bloom for so long. Here are two of mine as of today:

(How are yours looking boday?)

(mxk3, how is that "Vanilla Gorilla" doing for you? Could you post a picture or two?)

I only have the one cultivar, "Lars", it's a light pink - it is very hardy and self sows readily. Never had any problems with diseases on the foliage; it stays very neat and tidy, although I wished it didn't reseed so much (and this is with me deadheading after blooming).

RE: Vanilla Gorilla.

Eh. I bought it for the variegated foliage, but this year it returned mostly green. It is a nice shade of green and the leaves are nice and all - just not what I bought. The flowers are eh too - okay but nothing to jump up and down about, either.

This is a nice filler plant in the shade, but that's about it as far as I'm concerned. Maybe the variegation will be more pronounced in subsequent years - ?. I'm assuming, though, that if they were nicely variegated last year and mostly green this year, then the party's over as far as that's concerned.

Glad to see that this thread about a less common perennial is still going. Rouge21, what is the astrantia that you posted a 'macro' photo of? thanks.

I have a few, a white, ssp.involucrata, Hadspen Blood, Rubra(I think) and a seedling that I missed pulling, I thought it was pretty so kept it. I keep looking for a pink but haven't been able to find one locally :(.

My seedling

'ginny', the macro is from the same plant as I just posted for which I do not know the variety :(.

(If I remember I will look in my bag of plant tags).

aftermidnight, your seedling is beautiful. V Island is such a big place so I don't know its proximity to you, but Fraser's Thimble Farm has quite a few cultivars, including pinks. (That's the second time I've mentioned the place - I feel weird about that.)

I only have Star of Billion - my first astrantia. It looks great this year. I certainly wouldn't mind more. I appreciate all the grower comments.

pwin, thanks for the heads up. I've actually been to Fraser's Thimble Farm on Salt Spring Island several times, never thought to look for Astrantias. I'll have to look at what they have and probably place an order :).
This is where I picked up one of the Cardiocrinums I have. It's also the only place I could find replacements for Leucojum vernum, one day someone actually dug mine up when we weren't home. I've got them planted in a not so conspicuous spot now.

Annette

This post was edited by aftermidnight on Fri, Jun 20, 14 at 22:13

:( Someone actually did that here? What the heck? I live on V Island, too :)

Leucojum is a friend's favourite plant. It's a beauty.

aftermidnight and pwin you have me intrigued re Leucojum vernum. Doing a brief search I see it is a bulb? I take it one plants it in the fall? Can it make it through a zone 5 winter? What are its light requirements?
Thanks for your experiences.

rouge, yes, Leucojum vernum (Spring Snowflakes) planted in the fall to blooms late February here. Not readily available around my neck of the woods where as the taller Leucojum aestivum ( Summer Snowflake, blooms in spring) is readily available. I believe it is hardy in Z 4-8.
I have mine in a planter with some Hellebores, morning sun. At 5 bucks a bulb I only have a small clump, but it is slowly increasing. This pic was taken last year, I have the variety carpathicum yellowish spots on the petals, the ones that were lifted out of my garden were var. vernum, green spots on petals, still haven't been able to replace them :(.

Annette

Thanks Annette. The touch of yellow I see is unique...very pretty.

(Just the other day someone came by and dug out a few of my Globemaster allium bulbs...incredible)

This post was edited by rouge21 on Sat, Jun 21, 14 at 10:31

Well Rouge, I'm a big believer in...What goes around comes around, one day these people will get their comeuppance, I hope in the not too distance future :).

Annette

Rouge, how awful that someone would do that. What a low life.

funnthsun: mine are also still very small. I really expected them to be taller by now.

'ginny' wrote:

what is the astrantia that you posted a 'macro' photo of?

I checked my records and I am pretty sure it is "Moulin Rouge".

Here I was totally pissed that a stupid squirrel dug up and killed the astrantia that took me almost two year to germinate from seed. But you guys have people coming into your yard and digging up your valuable plants. Can't even image.

Thanks so much, rouge21, for that plant ID. I will have to look for 'Moulin rouge". What great info on this thread. Worth bookmarking.

But I am shocked to hear that people dig up other people's plants. I have never heard of that where I live and hope never to.

UPDATE:

Of course every new season brings new plant introductions, In the 2016 catalogues I see mention of an Astrantia "Red Joyce",

The number of flowers on that first one is incredible, Rouge! I like the last one too. White bracts? Do you know the name? I just got rid of some kind of Sunningdale Variegated. It comes up all white, then turns all green in early summer, with drab flowers. I got a red one last year. I will try to find a name and a picture ;-).

I am not exactly sure about the varieties :(. If I was betting the last one is a "Lost Horizons" only variety. They gave it the cool name "Great Green Hornet".

(What is good about the top one is that it reflowers quite well with dead heading.)

Hadspen Blood is a nice one, actually it's darker than it looks like in the picture.

Rouge, do you remember whether it blooms for a reasonably long time?