About

This bushy annual up to 50cm high, with downy, deeply lobed and toothed green leaves. Small, pale violet-blue flowers, with notched petals and darker veins, are produced in summer.

About the genus

Geranium can be annuals, biennials and perennials, herbaceous or evergreen, with rounded, usually palmately lobed or divided leaves, and lax inflorescences of rounded, 5-petalled flowers

Growing conditions

SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectEast-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH6

Plant details

Plant typeAnnual Biennial
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1 year
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Wildlife gardens

Care notes

CultivationGrow in moderately fertile, well drained soil, may benefit from afternoon shade in hot summers
PruningBasal leaves often wilt at flowering stage, cut back after flowering to tidy faded foliage
PropagationPropagate by seed sown in cold frames in autumn, germination is variable and may take anything from a week to up to three months. May self-seed in place and usually comes true
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to vine weevil, geranium sawfly, slugs and snails
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to powdery mildews, downy mildews, rust diseases and virus diseases