Best White Astrantias?

Nollie

I recently got some excellent quality plants from a new (to me) online supplier, so I am thinking of trying some astrantias from them. They offer seven different types of allegedly pure white astrantias, so can anyone tell me if they grow or can recommend any of these? I’m rather bamboozled by choice!

Astrantia Major:
1. Alba
2. Madeleine von Beckekom
3. Princess Sturdza
4. Shaggy
5. Snow Star
6. Super Star
7. White Angel

Sorry, please, please, don’t tell me if you have a fabulous, easy to grow, floriferous and healthy white astrantia if it’s not on the above list 😆 

Pete.8

I've got a few Shaggy (as a nod to my dear mate Shaggy)
I do like them very much, but I wouldn't say they are pure white by a long shot.
The petals are more opaque than white.
As it's not a sterile variety it only flowers for a few weeks, but does self-seed well.
I also have Roma (pinky red) that is sterile and flowers for much longer, but produces no seed.

Nollie

Opaque is fine @Pete.8, it’s for against a dark fence, I’m just trying to avoid pink! I’m not sure if there are any sterile whites, don’t think any of the above are.

Fairygirl

I have Superstar I think!
I'd need to check. It's greeny white. I don't like pale pink so it would have been chucked if it was. 

Fairygirl

I found it quite quickly fortunately. Yes - Superstar
The colour in this pic is pretty accurate.
I got it as a small plant August 2018. This was taken in June 2020. It's a big clump now.


I found this from last year @Nollie - you can see the size it is. It's a raised bed, so it's probably around three feet in height

Perki

I have Snow Star and Superstar . 

Snow star - I am a tad disappointed with it size can vary mine are are quite small at around 25-30cm , its not been very florius putting out the odd flower but in its defence it was getting bullied by a ligularia . I wouldn't recommend it personally well not yet it may surprise me this year. 

Superstar - I've only had for a year so can't really give a review on it yet but its supposed to be the white equivalent of Roma , Roma is a fantastic astrantia so I have high hopes for Superstar . Fairygirl looks great hopefully mine will be reaching similar height this year. 

Nollie

@Fairygirl Superstar looks fab, thanks so much for the photos. A little taller than the nursery claims, but that could work. How long does it flower for? @Perki that’s helpful, it looks as if Superstar beats Snowstar so far..

I have no idea how astrantias will respond to my heat (I’m pushing it in terms of their tolerance, I suspect) but I have been itching to try them for a few years. It’s for a shady bed that does keep reasonably damp and a bit cooler than the rest of the garden though.

Fairygirl

I'd say it flowers for around 6 weeks at least @Nollie, but even when the flowers are finished, they still look quite similar. It's a good while before they look tatty. I cut the stems back at that point, and there's often a few more, so it's a good value plant.
The biggest drawback is the foliage, as it can look quite manky. I take off the worst bits, but if I had more room, I could have other planting in front to hide it. I've got a geranium which might fit the bill if I do a bit of swapping.
Your climate will be a bit different to mine though, so you may find those factors aren't quite the same. 

Nollie

Brilliant, thanks @Fairygirl, six weeks is pretty good, so combined with the no pink rule, they sound just the job. I would be planting them toward the back - behind geraniums, coincidentally! 

Fairygirl

I think that would work well @Nollie

Loxley

The 'no pink rule', @Nollie?

I have been looking to increase my white flowers this year and had also been eyeballing Astrantia 'Superstar'. (Although I'll be keeping some pink as well!)

I have tried A. 'Gill Richardson' and found it not particularly long flowering, I hope 'Superstar' is better on that front.

Another white flowering plant I'm looking at, for hotter drier spots is Anaphalis margaretacea.