The Masterwort plant – commonly known as Hattie’s Pincushion – not only has unique flowers, but it also thrives in the shade.
In the late spring and early summer, you will spot this plant with flowers that almost look like pincushions, hence it’s name!
The flowers have also been compared to stars – even fireworks – due to their tightly-packed florets that are backed with petal-like bracts.
A woodland perennial, therefore, will grow best in partial shade, so be sure that it will receive either filtered shade all day, or just the morning sun, with shade during the hottest part of the afternoon.
It also enjoys having access to a regular supply of moisture, particularly when temperatures are hot and dry, as it won’t tolerate periods of drought, where you may see fewer blooms and crispy brown foliage.
Loving wet soil conditions means it can be grown near water gardens or streams, or any other areas in your garden that tends to stay wet.
These are hardy plants that don’t require anything to preparation for overwintering, as they will return in full force and bloom in the spring.
They don’t require a great deal of pruning either, but you can extend it’s blooming season by removing old faded flowers, which can help your plants continue to bloom into July.
You can cut-back to a couple of inches tall, in either the late autumn or early winter, once the frost has killed the foliage, as well as trimming stems back to a few inches tall in early spring, as the plant’s new growth resumes.
These plants are propagated, either through division or growing from seed. Dividing the plant is easy and best done during the spring and can also be done in early autumn.
Masterwort doesn’t have many issues with pests or diseases, however, you might discover that slugs are fond of chewing and residing on leaves.
