Astrantia, or zvezdovka - a popular plant among gardeners. This unpretentious bush can tolerate arid summer weather without long watering. At the same time, the star sprocket grows on the site for many years. Therefore, let's consider the popular flower varieties with photos, as well as analyze the basic rules of planting and caring for astrantia in the open field.
Botanical description
Astrantia is a perennial herb of the umbrella family. The inflorescence is an umbellate, 3-5 cm in diameter, there are 25-30 seeds in it. Flowers can be white, pink, red, burgundy, pink-green.
Astrantia leaves are more often lanceolate, less often obovoid, light green, serrated along the edges, divided into 4-7 parts near the base and located immediately on the stems. The flower grows up to 80 cm in length.
The bush grows to 40 cm in diameter. Astrantia is most common in the Carpathians and in the Caucasus, also in Europe. Scientists have 11 types of stars. Flowering occurs in July and lasts for 35-40 days. 
Your garden will also be decorated with such herbaceous plants as: armeria, crested insect, tiarell, yasenets, cyanosis, verbascum, gelenium
Popular species
The most popular species are considered astrantia large and astrantia largest. Breeders deduced from them a large number of varieties. So, the popular star varieties are:
- "Ruby Wedding". From English the name translates as "ruby wedding." This variety of stars has a ruby color and can grow in dozens of years in one place without requiring a transplant;
- "Saningdale Variegata". This variety has soft pink inflorescences and reaches 80 cm in height. It refers to the type of astrantia large. The leaves are light green with white edging. It usually blooms in August;
- "Snow Star". This "snow star" dissolves white petals and is responsive to growing in the shade. Reaches 60 cm in height and tolerates winter well;
- "Superstar" - has rose petals with white color around the edges. This species blooms all summer and tolerates drought well. The height of the bush is up to 50 cm. And the diameter is up to 40 cm. There can be 25-30 inflorescences on the bush;
- "Star of Beauty" famous for its dark red petals. The inflorescences are large and bloom in mid-June. The bush may bloom until September. Stems grow rapidly in height (80 cm), but the diameter of the bush is not too large;
- "Moulin rouge" - very beautiful variety with dark maroon-purple flowers. The plant reaches 50 cm in height, blooms from July to August and is distinguished by its frost resistance. The leaves are dark green.
Did you know? Zvezdovka very popular in the United States. This is due to the fact that the flower blooms on Independence Day of the country.
Features of growing
Astrantia flower is famous for its unpretentious planting and care. Agricultural technology is simple and does not require much effort. Summer and winter tolerates satisfactorily, poorly responds to excessive moisture. Astrantia is an exclusively ornamental plant.
Optimal lighting
The plant feels good in sunny areas next to other flowers. But partial shade is also suitable astrantia. The flower does not need constant sunlight, so it gets on well even in the shade under the thick crowns of trees. 
The soil
The soil can be any. Zvezdovka blooms magnificently in the sandy, loamy, fertile lands. The main condition for the soil - aeration. But the flower does not like too acidic soil - the acidity index should be below 6-7 pH.
Did you know? Astrantia was known a few hundred years ago. At that time in England, the flower was called the "needle-room Hattie."
Landing Astrantia
Landing zvezovki not take a lot of time. Whether it is seedlings from seedlings or ready seedlings, it is necessary to have each flower 40 cm from the other. Depth of landing depends on the previous location of the material.
If it is a sapling, then the depth may vary depending on the rhizome. If the seedlings, the planting depth is quite small. Planting, pour water.
Planting soil usually consists of:
- 2 pieces of compost;
- 2 pieces of garden soil;
- 1 part sand.
Astrantia is successfully combined with large flowers (peonies, chamomiles, etc.) and will look good in mixborders.Seed growing
You can grow astrantia from seeds in two ways: immediately sowing seeds into the soil or by using seedlings.
- Seeds are sown immediately in the ground in mid-autumn, when the ground freezes. Furrows are made with a depth of 2 cm, the distance between them is 40-45 cm. In winter, seedlings can be covered with spruce leaves or dry leaves. After stratification is complete, seeds sprout in 2-3 weeks. Thinning planting is carried out after the appearance of several leaves on each seedling.
- Taking small containers, pour ground there and plant seeds on seedlings. The depth of the grooves is 2 cm, the distance between them is 7 cm. Seedling is necessarily covered. Before this, they often make stratification of the material. In the autumn, seeds are collected or bought, then they are put in a refrigerator for several months. In the spring directly sown as seedlings.
In this way, you will be able to determine the quality future plants that will survive in the winter. Care for seedlings zvezdovki simple. For the first shoots, it is necessary to maintain the room temperature (+ 20-24 ° C). When the first stalks start to break through from the soil, you can remove the shelter, and place the seedlings in a more lighted place.
It is important to water the sprocket when the topsoil dries, and also loosen it. The pick is standard: each sprout is planted in separate containers with the same soil. Landing on the flower beds is carried out at the end of May, in sunny weather.
It is important to water the sprocket when the topsoil dries, and also loosen it. The pick is standard: each sprout is planted in separate containers with the same soil. Landing on the flower beds is carried out at the end of May, in sunny weather.Important! During the week before planting on the flower bed, seedlings must be hardened. Take them out to the open air so that the plants get used to oxygen and small temperature differences.
Dividing bush
This method of reproduction of astrantia is carried out either in early spring, when the first leaves had not yet appeared, or in the autumn, when the star-tree had already faded. You need to dig a bush in half, i.e. remove the ground on one side only.
Then divide the rhizome into the required number of parts (preferably not more than three). Next, one part should be left in a half-dug hole, and the other parts should be carefully separated with an earthy clod and transplanted into previously prepared holes. 
Do not forget to add humus or other fertilizer to the pit for transplanting, and also to water after instillation.
How to care for a flower
Any type of astrantia can withstand high temperatures and practically does not need watering. Therefore, this plant is suitable for busy people who are not often on their site. Nevertheless, it is impossible to completely forget about the flower.
Watering, fertilizer, pruning - all this will prolong the life of the star. For the winter, you can cover the young plants with spruce leaves. Adult stars in the fall are cut off and do not hide.
Watering and soil care
If, however, summer is too dry, then watering is done 1-2 times a week. Pay attention to the top layer of soil: if it is too dry, then watering is needed more often.
A special feature of astrantia is that while keeping the soil moist all the vegetation days, it can bloom again. After watering, you can loosen the soil or grind. In the form of mulch suitable humus. 
Fertilizer
Most of them on the market of seeds and seedlings is a large astrontia, the planting and maintenance of which do not require much time and effort. With all its advantages, zvezdovka is responsive to fertilizers, like any plant.
Adding to organic fertilizer costs in spring or autumn. And when planting, you can make a small amount of green fertilizers (eg, legumes) or ammonium sulfate to increase the nitrogen content in the soil.
It is also recommended to make mineral supplements with the onset of the first warm days in spring.
Important! The first three years, the flower may not bloom. Then you need to change the fertilizer and feed more often.
Pruning
Pruning astrantia is carried out at the end of flowering. The plant itself is not aggressive, but it can easily spread by self-sowing. Therefore, it is better to cut the inflorescences so that the sprocket does not displace other plants. 
Cosmetic pruning can be done in early spring. In adult astrantia, lower leaves are cut. Due to this, you prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases.
Diseases and pests of the flower
The zvezdovka is remarkable also by the fact that it is resistant to diseases and pests. But too frequent watering and constant stagnation of water can lead to fungal diseases, for example, powdery mildew. In this case, you can use fungicides, after cutting off the affected areas.
Astrantia is suitable for any climate and any soil. Unpretentious care and disease resistance make the sprocket almost perfect perennial. 
Plant transplantation is needed only every 6-8 years, and you can forget about watering for a long time. So feel free to plant astrantia on your site.
