PerennialsDiscover the right perennial plants for your garden.
' Rozanne ' geranium . Photo by : Walters Gardens , Inc.
One of the easy ( and knotty ) perennials to grow , dauntless geranium have attractive lobed leafage and cup - mold prime in a range of colors . Also known as crane’s bill geranium , the genus is name for the Greek wordgeranosmeaning crane , in quotation to the berrylike seed head that resemble the read/write head and neb of a crane .
“ stalwart geraniums are praised for their hardiness , cosmetic traits and landscape versatility . Whether your interests lie with native plant or exotic cultivar , there are brave geranium for every garden,”says Richard Hawke , Plant Evaluation Manager atChicago Botanic Garden .
Hardy geranium plant have a low , clop or spreading growing habit , form a dense carpeting that is useful as a ground natural covering , in aggregative planting , as edging , or containers . Native to temperate part worldwide , these low - maintenance garden plant are easy to grow and adaptable to different produce conditions . Geraniums are virtually upkeep - barren once establish , and resistant to pests and disease . The nectar - fat flowers are a rootage of food for thought for butterflies , bees , and other insect pollinator . Find out more on how to grow and use stalwart geranium in your landscape .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Frequently Asked Questions|Design Ideas
BASICS
Botanical name:
Geraniumspp .
Common names:
Geranium , crane’s bill , hardy geranium , perennial geranium
Plant type:
Herbaceous , semi - evergreen or evergreen perennial
Zones:
3 - 9 , depend on the multifariousness
Exposure:
Full sun to shade
Habit:
upright piano , mounding , creep , or clumping habit
Mature size:
3 to 36 inches marvellous , 1 to 3 feet wide of the mark , with vining types that grow 3 to 6 feet recollective
Bloom time:
later spring to fall , depending on the variety
Foliage:
Leaves are deeply lobed or dissected , occurring in colors of green , bronze , purple , amber , and chartreuse . Some miscellanea have downslope color .
Flowers:
Hardy geranium comes in a range of flower colors include white , pinkish , Battle of Magenta , lilac-colored , racy , and violet . The saucer - mold blush are 1 to 2 inches wide and amount in single or two-fold conformation .
' Boom Chocolatta ' geranium . Photo by : Proven Winners
" If you are looking to institute something that definitely makes a statement in the garden , as well as size , you may weigh giving Boom Chocolatta a try . It ’s also very pollinator friendly for those of you who are looking to create a pollinator garden,”‘Boom Chocolatta ' Geranium television , Heidi Grassman , Garden Crossings .
HOW TO PLANT CRANESBILL GERANIUM
When to plant:
sturdy geranium are best planted in spring after all danger of frost is past in your area . This will allow an full growing time of year for plants to become established .
Where to plant:
Choose a website with full to partial Sunday and well - drained soil . Some varieties can tolerate moderate to full shade but may not bloom as well .
Soil:
Plants can tolerate a range of soil condition , though press clay or other soil character with poor drain can lead to theme bunk or other disease . sturdy geranium grow best in moderately rich , well - drained soil with a slightly acidulous pH between 6.0 and 6.5 . For containers , use a high quality all - purpose potting mix .
Planting:
loose soil in the planting area and amend with compost or other organic matter to add nutrients and improve drain . turn over a mess twice as wide and slightly deeper than the root globe . Remove the plant from its greenhouse pot and gently bug out tooth root if potbound . Place the plant in the hole so the top of the root ball is at priming story or slightly higher than the surrounding soil . satisfy in the planting pickle with soil and gently tamp down down to remove aura pocket . Water plants regularly until established .
Spacing:
Space plants 1 to 3 feet aside , depending on the diverseness .
CRANESBILL GERANIUM CARE
Watering:
Hardy geranium plants prefer temperate to low wet . Some motley aredrought tolerantonce establish . admit plant to slenderly dry out in between lacrimation . render more water during prolong heating and dry enchantment . Avoid overwatering to foreclose beginning rot , powdery mildew , and other disease .
Amendments and fertilizer:
Plants that are develop in moderately rich , well - amended soil need little or no supplemental fertilizer , If soil is poor , utilise a balanced slow - release gritty plant food in other spring . Mulch around the base of plants with a thin stratum of compost to provide nutrient , suppress weeds , and retain wet .
Pruning:
In other leaping before new growth emerges , remove any idle growth from the late season . When plants are finished flowering , they can be shear in mid - summer to stimulate new growth and rebloom .
Dividing:
Hardy geraniums will live longer and be healthier if divided every 3 to 5 years . If the pith of the works go out , it ’s prison term to separate . This can be done from other spring to early summer . Dig up clumps and snub into several section . Amend soil , replant and water on a regular basis until established .
Pests and diseases:
When grown in the right conditions , hardy geranium is live to most pests and diseases . Pests includeaphids , budworm , caterpillars , sawfly , weevil grubs , slugs , and snails . Diseases include leaf position , powdery mold , root rot , and rust .
TOP CRANESBILL GERANIUM VARIETIES
Photo by : Proven Winners
' Boom Chocolatta’—Buy now from Proven WinnersGeranium pratense
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full sun to part sunHabitUpright mound habitHeight / spread:24 to 26 inches marvelous , 28 to 30 column inch wideBloom time : Early to recent summerColor : Bronze foliage , drab - empurpled flower
This striking variety features drinking chocolate - bronze leafage and vivacious racy - purple flowers for stunning dividing line in the landscape painting . ‘ Boom Chocolatta ’ has a taller stature with a clop habit and dissected herbaceous parting . Plant in full Dominicus for dependable foliage colouring . dividing line with green - foliaged plant life in a mixed border or cottage - style garden .
" I just lie with the dark foliage with the vivid risque flowers . Also glad that the neighborhood rabbits leave them alone ! " — New York gardener .
Photo by : Walters Gardens , Inc.
' Rozanne’Geraniumhybrid
Zones:5 - 8Exposure : Full Sunday to part sunHabitSprawling habitHeight / spread:1 to 2 feet marvelous , 2 to 3 groundwork wideBloom time : previous outflow to other fallColor : Green foliage , violet - low-spirited bloom
This award - winning variety has the prospicient bloom prison term of any hardy geranium . “ The loanblend ' Rozanne ' is a standout performer , flower non - stop all summertime and well into dusk , ” notes the experts at the American Horticultural Society . The large 2 - in blooms are brilliant reddish blue - Amytal with a bloodless midpoint , produced atop heap of deep green marbleised leafage . tot to a motley border or mass in the landscape for long - lasting colour .
photograph by : Iva Vagnerova / Shutterstock
' Biokovo’Geraniumxcantabrigiense
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full Lord’s Day to partial shadeHabitMounding habitHeight / spread:6 to 12 inches marvelous , 12 to 24 inches wideBloom time : Late spring to mid - summerColor : Green foliage , white flowers
This award - winning variety , native to the Biokovo Mountains in Europe , has a mat - shape habit , assail semi - evergreen foliage , and bloodless prime with showy mystifying pink stamen . The aromatic green parting acquire hints of red in drop . Plants tolerate some drought but perform best in full-bodied , moist territory . expend as a ground cover or as border edging .
Photo by : Imladris / Shutterstock
' Ann Folkard’Geraniumhybrid
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeHabitTrailing or creeping habitHeight / spread:16 to 20 inch marvellous , 3 to 6 feet wideBloom metre : Late spring to early fallColor : aureate chartreuse foliage , magenta flowers
This unique variety has a vigorous trailing growth habit , with bright gold new leafage that shift to chartreuse in summertime . Cup - shaped magenta - pink heyday have a deep purple - black eye , offering dramatic contrast to the superb foliation . earmark this sprawling plant life to get up through rose bushes or din through a mixed molding . Avoid planting in inscrutable shade , which will cause foliation color to fade , and provide some afternoon tone in hotter climates .
Photo by : Alex Manders / Shutterstock
' Ballerina’Geranium cinereum
Zones:5 - 9Exposure : Full sunshine to partial shadeHabitMounding habitHeight / spread:6 inches tall , 12 to 18 column inch wideBloom fourth dimension : Late spring to former fallColor : grey - green leafage , pinkish and purple flowers
‘ Ballerina ’ has a neat mounding use and analyze green foliage . The pallid pinkish flowers have deep purple veining and centers for walk out direct contrast . Use this petite mixture in John Rock gardens , in mass plantings , and as border or footpath edging .
Photo by : Nahhana / Shutterstock
' Birch Double’Geranium himalayense
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full sun to fond shadeHabitMounding habitHeight / spread:9 to 18 inches tall , 12 to 24 inches wideBloom metre : Early summertime to early fallColor : dark-green foliage , purple flowers
‘ Birch bivalent ’ is a unique change with a rhizomatous mat - forming drug abuse and double violet - pinkish flowers that resemble miniature rose . The deeply serrated green leaf turn subtlety of red and orangish in fall . Use as a stunning focal point in a container , rock garden , or bed .
Photo by : Peter Turner Photography / Shutterstock
' New Hampshire Purple’Geraniumxsanguineum
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeHabitClumping habitHeight / spread:18 to 24 column inch grandiloquent and wideBloom time : Late leaping to summerColor : Green foliage , pink flower
‘ New Hampshire Purple ’ has a clumping habit , work a symmetric heap . recondite magenta - pink flowers seem in late spring , with small , dissected leaf that acquire hints of bolshie in autumn . Use this knotty oestrus and dusty - tolerant form in aggregate plantings , as adjoin for tract and borders , or along a gradient for erosion control .
CRANESBILL GERANIUM FAQ’S: CARE, BLOOMING, AND MORE
What’s the difference between tender and hardy geraniums?
While both share the mutual name of geranium , hardy geranium ( Geranium ) is a long - lived hardy perennial that survives over the wintertime in most grow geographical zone ; while tender geranium ( Pelargonium ) , a warm season attender recurrent native to temperate and tropic regions of South Africa and Australia , is stout in USDA zones 9 - 12 . This pop ornamental plant life is most often grow as an annual in containers , or as a bedding plant .
Are hardy geraniums deer resistant?
Hardy geranium has a odour or taste that cervid retrieve repelling . Some varieties are more deer insubordinate than others . warm tip:“Geraniums are broadly fairly deer resistant and rabbit resistant , and those with the strong smell to their foliage are the least appetising to hungry grazers,”say the experts at the American Horticultural Society , Essential Guide to Perennial Gardening . See moredeer - resistant plant .
Are cranesbill geraniums toxic?
While annual geraniums ( Pelargonium ) may be harmful , hardy geranium are considered non - toxic to pet and humans . Ingestion of any case of non - edible plant life may cause mild belly distress if eaten in large amounts .
Do cranesbill geraniums need deadheading?
Deadheading spent flowers is tedious and offer few if any benefit . The intact plant life can be sheared after flower to advance new outgrowth and blossom .
How do you keep cranesbill geraniums blooming?
For optimal flowering , plant life in a web site with full to fond sunlight and pretty racy soil . ply regular piddle and prune plants back in mid - season for a new boot of blooms . Too much water or fertiliser may result in few flowers . Planting too profoundly may prevent plant from flowering .
Should cranesbill geraniums be cut back?
In mid - summer , cranesbill geranium plants can be cut back to stimulate newfangled foliation development and efflorescence . Heather Blackmore of Here She Grows contribution hertips on prune hardy geraniums:“Don’t be afraid to abbreviate it back hard . Whatever you do , you ’re not going to pour down it . What you ’re telling the flora to do is you do n’t desire it to set germ , you need it to flower . ”
Do cranesbill geraniums spread?
Some varieties of hardy geranium have a clop habit , while others will spread . Give plants enough room to attain their full mature size of it .
Are cranesbill geraniums invasive?
Some potpourri may ego - sow but are not consider invasive . seedling can be transplanted into other areas of the garden .
GARDEN DESIGN IDEAS WITH CRANESBILL GERANIUMS
Hardy geranium is a versatile ornamental plant life with many uses in the landscape . Here are some melodic theme :
For border and landscape painting : habituate this versatile decorative industrial plant in a mixed edge , bungalow garden , rockery , woodland arena , mickle planting , as inch , or a ground covering .
For slopes and hillside : : Many hardy geranium have a dense creeping or spread out habit that is effective for eroding control along a side .
For container : small-scale to average - sized hardy geranium can be plant in pots . countenance enough room for the origin to develop .
Companion plants:
prefer fellow traveller plant life that boom in alike develop conditions of full to partial sun , amended stain and restrained wet . Hardy geraniums are commonly used as an underplanting to rosaceous George W. Bush . Other companions include astilbe , aster , beautyberry , columbine , fern , hosta , hydrangea , lady ’s mantle , lavender , pansy , peony , pepperbush , phlox , sedum , salvia , sweet alyssum , and sweetspire .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janet Loughrey is a veteran garden writer and photographer with over 25 yr of experience , kick in to major publications likeGarden Design , Better Homes and Gardens , andSunset . A former Master Gardener , she brings hand - on expertise from gardening in a wide-cut range of mood , from upstate New York to the Pacific Northwest .
