Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Astrantia minor

Lesser Masterwort

Family ApiaceaeGenus Astrantia

A round head of small white flowers on long fine stalks, held on a thin green stem above a blurred garden
FlowerDenis BastianelliCC BY 4.0
A color plate of deeply cut palmate leaves on slender stems with small domed flower heads, the florets and the fruit drawn enlarged below
IllustrationAnton HartingerPublic domain

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
White, creamWikipedia
Native range
France, Italy, Spain, SwitzerlandGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Two sources report 5 treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around November 10, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 56 days.

100% germination in 56 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Astrantia p. 16Public domain
Show the original text
Astrantia (Apiaceae). Larger samples of A. minor germ. 70D-40(1/3 in 8th w), 70L-40(2/2 in 8th w), and 40^70D-40(3/3 in 8-10 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Astrantia p. 16. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 28, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 27, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 70 days.

100% germination in 56–70 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Astrantia p. 16Public domain
Show the original text
Astrantia (Apiaceae). Larger samples of A. minor germ. 70D-40(1/3 in 8th w), 70L-40(2/2 in 8th w), and 40^70D-40(3/3 in 8-10 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Astrantia p. 16. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around November 10, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 56 days.

33% germination in 56 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Astrantia p. 16Public domain
Show the original text
Astrantia (Apiaceae). Larger samples of A. minor germ. 70D-40(1/3 in 8th w), 70L-40(2/2 in 8th w), and 40^70D-40(3/3 in 8-10 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Astrantia p. 16. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 1, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    1/8 germinated in this phase.

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 4 days.

50% germination in 2–4 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Astrantia p. 23Public domain
Show the original text
Astrantia (Apiaceae). A. minor ge;im. 3-5% in 70-40 patterns with seeds DS several months. A new freshty collected sample germ. 40(1/8)-70(4/8 in 2-4 d) and none in 70D or 70L. A rapid death rate in DS is suspected.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Astrantia p. 23. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 5

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Astrantia p. 23Public domain
Show the original text
Astrantia (Apiaceae). A. minor ge;im. 3-5% in 70-40 patterns with seeds DS several months. A new freshty collected sample germ. 40(1/8)-70(4/8 in 2-4 d) and none in 70D or 70L. A rapid death rate in DS is suspected.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Astrantia p. 23. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

Add to My Garden

View species page