Venice Masterwort

‘Venice’ is a clump-forming masterwort with mid-pink flower heads surrounded by darker pink, green-flecked bracts. The stems rise above a mound of mid-green foliage, bringing a fine-textured summer display to cottage borders, woodland edges and cutting gardens. ## Flowers and Garden Use The Royal Horticultural Society describes ‘Venice’ as a deciduous perennial with mid-pink flowers and a darker bract ruff flecked with green. Its compact umbels suit close planting among ferns and other shade perennials, and the RHS lists it for borders, wildlife gardens and cut flowers. A commercial RHS Plants profile also describes the cultivar’s red flowers and burgundy-purple bracts, showing that color perception or strain descriptions vary; the primary RHS profile’s mid-pink description is retained here. [RHS cultivar profile](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/272661/astrantia-major-venice/details) · [RHS Plants listing](https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/astrantia-major-venice-pbr/classid.2000050623/) ## Siting and Soil Plant in full sun or partial shade in moist, humus-rich soil. Keep soil from drying out during warm weather, especially in sunny positions. Astrantia performs best in cooler summers and may flower less freely in deep shade. [RHS cultivation notes](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/272661/astrantia-major-venice/details) · [University of Wisconsin Extension guide](https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/astrantia-astrantia-major/) ## Maintenance Cut back spent stems after flowering to tidy the clump and encourage fresh leaves. Water during dry spells and apply organic matter to help hold moisture. Monitor for slugs, aphids and leaf miner.