Oh Lord...what a stink
tOut having a look-see to see if anything budding or flowering on this dull day and was stood by an Astrantia major which is growing around a tall-ish rose. The smell was horrendous and I spent a good ten minutes separating surround foliage looking for a dead bird or some yeugh rotting thing which must have crawled in there. Couldn't find anything so I sniffed the Astrantia flowers. Blimey! It was bad. I've had Astrantias of various kinds for years and never experienced this before. A few days ago I was watching all the bees loving them and never noticed this smell.
Wasn't until I came back in the house and did a web search that I found one website which listed Astrantia info, height, growth, etc and it said 'Aroma: sickly fetid smell'.
Boy was I surprised. I'm going to have to move it as it really is a strong 'fetid' smell. I've since gone around the others but none of them smell at all. Just this one. You surely learn something every day! It puzzles me sometimes how truly lovely flowers can have what you can only describe as a 'stench'. I'll have to read up and see if there's a reason this plant produces this stench. Or better still - someone on this forum is bound to know a bit about this - would love to know, anyone.
Last edited: 22 June 2016 17:45:58
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Maybe it wants to attract bluebottles
Never caught any stink from mine.
But I have Dracunculus vulgaris for it to compete with
Last edited: 22 June 2016 17:54:26
In the sticks near Peterborough
Hmmmm I'l have to go and smell mine now!
Me too Ladybird, never noticed any smell at all.
It had a faint smell but nothing I would describe as foetid. Perhaps its one of those scents that some people have the gene to detect as foul whilst others don't - as with coriander.
Just cut some of my Astrantia Toby Buckland and popped them in a vase and they are stinking the kitchen out. Such a shame as they look amazing!!
I was weeding yesterday eve and in one part of a border assumed a fox had left me a little gift. It was soon obvious that the smell was coming from astrantia shaggy - lovely plant - disgusting smell
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
glad it's not just me MU
In the sticks near Peterborough
I thought fox poo, so should be on the soil, but the smell was stronger about 2ft above the soil - just where the flowers are, so had a sniff and was surprised - quite strong and very unpleasant
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
It seems some do smell fetid and some don't! I have Roma and Florence as well as the Buckland and they all smell bad but particularly so when cut and in the house! Misting with room spray only works temporarily!! They do dry nicely though for over winter indoor displays and fortunately they lose the whiff then!