Masterwort / Astrantia major

I always think this plant, Masterwort / Astrantia major, is quite easily overlooked, mainly because the colour of the small flowers gets lost against the green foliage. Unfortunate, as each individual flower is a work of art.

After a volunteer shift on 23 July 2014, I wasn't too far away from the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area, where I was finally going to go on a botany walk. Having been to this location several times before, I knew it was a short, easy, flat trail, and that I could go as far as I wanted and then turn back early, which is what I did. I'd missed pretty well all the botany and birding walks the previous few months, which was quite depressing. The main thing I wanted to see were the Nodding / Musk Thistles, as these are my favourite species of Thistle. They are called a "weed", but I love to see them. The sun was unfortunately in the wrong direction, so I was only able to get a handful of shots, but better than nothing.

With a couple of hours to "kill", I spent them at the Reader Rock Garden, which was just a few minutes' drive away from the evening botany walk location. This is where I photographed this small, quite spectacular flower - a rather grainy image, but it does show the beautiful details.

"Masterwort produces many small, ivory flowers that are flushed pink and bloom continuously throughout the summer and fall, wafting a sweet scent. Like Queen Anne’s lace, each masterwort blossom is an umbel of tiny flowers, framed by a collar of papery bracts." From finegardening.com.

www.finegardening.com/masterwort-astrantia-major

www.finegardening.com/masterwort-astrantia-major
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrantia_major