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Geranium 'Jolly Bee' Courteesy Crownsville Nursery

The first hardy geranium I purchased lasted only five months. Then again, I bought Samobor on an impulse: the maroon petals were peeled back like shooting stars, the green leaves had large bands of dark purple, and the foot-high plant swayed gently in the breeze. I was also quick to plant it in a sunny place, and did not heed my own philosophy of first finding out the cultural requirements before planting.

That winter, I corrected my mistake by reading the only books I could find on the subject: The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Hardy Geraniums by Trevor Bath and Joy Jones (Timber Press, 1994) and Gardening with Hardy Geraniums by Birgitte Husted Bendtsen (Timber Press, 2005).

Samobor, I learned, is really Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor.’ It is a true geranium, not a bedding geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum), or a scented geranium (Pelargonium spp.). True geraniums, or Geranium spp., are herbaceous perennials, usually hardy to zone four. Most prefer morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled shade, (which was my mistake). Their shape and size vary, so they can be grown as groundcovers, tall perennials, or even small rock garden plants. They all have delicate, small flowers with five petals, unless it is a double, in blue, white, purple, magenta, or pink. They all have a basic maple leaf shape in green, gray/green, plum/purple, gold/ green, variegated, or banded. Many will bloom in the spring or summer and in the fall the leaves may turn orange and red, like a maple tree. Some will remain above ground over the winter, while others are deciduous and will lose their leaves in colder months. They are considered to be wildflowers, so they have little maintenance needs and rarely have pest or disease problems.

Geranium 'Velvety Cranesbill' from Monrovia

The following spring, Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’ caught my eye at a plant sale. Completely different than ‘Samobor,’ ‘Biokovo’s’ dainty white/pink flowers bloomed above a six inch mound of small, green leaves. I gave it morning sun and afternoon shade and it thrived. Although the beautiful flowering ended in the summer, the filigree green leaves provided a lot of texture. In the fall, I was surprised to see the leaves turn red and orange, and I was even more surprised when the entire plant remained above ground in the winter.

For effects similar to ‘Biokovo,’ I knew I could buy its cousins such as ‘Cambridge’ (purple/red flowers), ‘Karmina’ (purple/red flowers), and ‘St. Ola’ (white flowers), but I wanted to know what else would work in my garden, so I called two experts for their recommendations.

First I called the president of the International Geranium Society, Faye Brawner, who has been growing all types of geraniums for over 40 years. She had just moved from the mountains of West Virginia to Ohio, so I thought her West Virginia experience would shed some light on what it would be like to grow hardy geraniums in my state of Virginia.

Faye convinced me to try ‘Lily Lovell,’ another type of Geranium phaeum that grows to be two feet tall. Lily has dark violet flowers and large, light green leaves. This species may stay above ground in the winter in my area, so in addition to ‘Lily Lovell,’ I may also try ‘Album’ (white flowers), ‘Chocolate Chip’ (dark but not reflexed flowers), and ‘Margaret Wilson’ (blue purple flowers with yellow variegated leaves).

She also recommended Geranium macrorrhizum. “G. macrorrhizum is a workhorse, it can be grown in full sun to shade,” said Faye. “G. macrorrhizum stays low, about eight to nine inches tall, and is used extensively in England to edge walks or paths in public gardens.”

I bought one, and so far I am pleased to report that it bloomed magenta/purple flowers in the spring and its thick, aromatic green leaves deterred the rabbits in the summer. What’s more, the leaves provided fall color in autumn, and the plant remained above ground in the winter. Because it can tolerate a variety of light requirements, it makes a great groundcover, spreading by underground rhizomes from shady to sunny areas. Here are several cultivars to try in the future: ‘BevanÍs Variety’ has magenta/red flowers, ‘Ingwersen’s Variety’ has pink flowers, and ‘Pindus’ has such swollen flower buds that they look like rose hips.

I never thought to use hardy geraniums for hanging baskets, but Faye explained that some have such a sprawling shape they can spill over the edges. “For a hanging basket use any hardy geranium that is called ‘trailing’ or ‘groundcover,’ such as the G. sanguineum types,” recommends Faye. “I particularly like G. sanguineum var. striatum because I like the white with the pink striped flower.”

The plants bloom purple all summer long, and in autumn produce vibrant fall leaf colors. Over the summer they form low mats about nine to 12 inches tall and the plants remain above ground in the garden, but would be a great ’spiller’ for a hanging basket as well.

I also contacted Robin Parer, who owns the only American nursery specializing in hardy geraniums. She lives in Marin County, California, and has operated Geraniaceae Nursery for 24 years. Robin recommends ‘Brookside’ and ‘Rozanne’ for my Virginia garden.

Geranium 'Brookside' Courtesy Bailey Nurseries

“Rozanne’ has fabulous blue flowers with white eyes and will flower from late April through fall on the east coast. It is an eye catching, billowy mound,” she notes.

‘Brookside’ and ‘Rozanne’ are examples of new cultivars that bloom all summer long and can tolerate more sun than others. However, most of the species will prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. Species that can survive in full sun are G. sanguineum, G. pratense, and the rock garden types, such as G. cinereum. Those that will tolerate full shade are G. macrorrhizum and G. phaeum.

Another popular new cultivar is ‘Johnson’s Blue.’ At two feet tall, its large blue/lavender flowers bloom all summer long. Then there is ‘Jolly Bee,’ which has large blue flowers with a lighter center that blooms all summer long in sun to partial shade. ‘Sweet Heidy’ also blooms all summer long with flowers that are lavender on the outer edges of the petals and pink in the inner circle.

Geranium 'Rozanne' Courtesy Lazy S'S Farm

Robin also mentions Geranium x oxonianum, which tolerates some shade but needs sun to flower. I am intrigued by her description: “All oxonianum plants have flowers that open pale and fade darker with age.” She recommends ‘Phoebe Noble’ for its dark pink flowers and ‘Old Rose,’ which has pretty veins and pale pink flowers that turn dark pink with age.

For rock gardens and containers, Robin suggests G. cinereum. These are small plants, maybe about six inches tall, that require well-drained, full sun locations. Robin also recommends that I try G. cinereum ‘Valeriana’ which is an “oldie but goody” and ‘Purple Pillow,’ a “new one that is fabulous.” It has dark purple/red flowers with veins and a dark center. Another very popular plant is ‘Ballerina,’ named for the way its rose/pink flowers dance above the leaves.

For sunny spots in the garden you can try Geranium pratense, which is the source of the Reiter cultivars that have dark burgundy leaves. It is also the source of double flowers, which all have “Plenum” in the name. ‘Mrs. Kendall Clark’ rose from this bloodline; she has large lavender flowers with white veins.

There are even new varieties of G. maculatum, an American native found in the damp woodlands and meadows of New England. The species itself grows fairly large, 28 inches high with large leaves and pink flowers over an inch wide. Recently, different forms of this roadside native have been introduced such as ‘Elizabeth Ann’ (magenta flowers and dark brown leaves), ‘Espresso’ (chocolate brown leaves that turn gold in the fall), and ‘Heronswood Gold’ (gold leaves throughout the summer).

Hardy geraniums are true gems in the garden. They are low maintenance, pest and disease resistant, long-lived, and in addition to the beautiful flowers, many hardy geraniums will glow with orange and red foliage in the fall, and yet provide continued interest during the winter. Easy to propagate, one plant can produce many other plants, either to create a quick groundcover or to give away as gifts. Like potato chips, they are truly addictive, you can’t have just one.

Peggy Riccio is a Contributing Editor of ChesapeakeHome magazine.

Contacts:
Geraniaceae Nursery: geraniaceae.com or 415-461-4168
International Geranium Society: intgeraniumsoc.com

Resources:
Bailey Nurseries: baileynurseries.com or 800-829-8898
Monrovia: monrovia.com
White Flower Farm: whiteflowerfarm.com or 800-503-9624

Hardy geraniums are widely available through most local independent garden centers as well as the following specialty mail order nurseries:

Crownsville Nursery (Strasburg, Virginia): crownsvillenursery.com or 540-631-9411
Digging Dog Nursery (Albion, California): diggingdog.com or 707-937-1130
Geraniaceae Nursery (Kentfield, California): geraniaceae.com or 415-461-4168
Lazy S’S Farm Nursery (Barboursville, Virginia): lazyssfarm.com