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Common Name: masterwort
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Apiaceae
Zone: 4 to 7
Height: 1.5 to 2.5 feet
Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet
Bloom Time: May to July
Bloom Color: Red
Bloom Description: Red
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Medium
Flowers: Showy Flowers
Tolerates: Wet Soil
Uses: Will Naturalize
Culture
Grow in organically rich, medium to wet, well-drained soil in part shade. Best performance occurs in cool summer climates where night temperatures consistently dip below 70 degrees F... a cultural preference that obviously does not fit the profile of a typical St. Louis summer where this plant may labor. In optimum growing conditions, plants may spread to form large clumps by both stolons and self-seeding. Flowers of this cultivar do not always come true from seed however.
Noteworthy Characteristics
This masterwort cultivar is a compact, umbelliferous, stoloniferous, clump-forming perennial which typically grows 18-30" tall. Flower is a domed umbel (to 1.5" diameter) of silver-tinged, claret-red florets subtended by a showy ruff of papery, petal-like, rose involucral bracts which extend beyond the flower. Medium green leaves are palmately cut into 3-7 (usually 5) toothed lobes. Leaves appear primarily in basal clumps, with smaller versions on the stems. Long late spring to early summer bloom. Bracts usually remain attractive well after bloom.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Slugs are occasional visitors.
Garden Uses
Mass in part shade areas of borders, cottage gardens, woodland gardens or naturalized areas. Good understory plant for sun dappled areas below open trees.