Geranium psilostemon
Armenian cranesbill
geraniaceae
Magenta flowers with a black eye; finely
dissected palmate foliage
2 1/2–4 ft. high; 3–4 ft. wide
Full sun–part shade
Blooms May–July
Zones 4–8
pruning Armenian cranesbill is a
large sprawling perennial that looks
stunning in bloom with its screaming
magenta flowers, but once the flowers
are spent, the foliage declines and the
plant may become an eyesore. Cut it
back hard after blooming. It is unlikely
to flower again in the same season, but
it will form an attractive mound of
fresh foliage to carry it quietly through
the rest of the year. The leaves may
turn crimson in the fall. Do the final
cleanup of dead foliage any time
before growth resumes in spring.
other maintenance Geraniumpsilostemon struggles in hot, humid
climates and is at its best where
summers are mild. The ideal soil
would be deep and fertile and the best
exposure, morning sun. Some support
in the form of pea sticks or strong
neighboring plants will probably be
necessary to hold up the tall stems as
they grow heavy with flowers. Arme-
nian cranesbill tolerates competition
from other plants, so it won’t suffer
from having supportive neighbors
close by. Some reseeding may occur if
deadheading isn’t completed in time,
but rarely enough to be a nuisance.
related plantS Geranium psiloste-
mon is a parent to G. ‘Ann Folkard’,
which has acid-yellow new foliage to
go with its hot pink blooms. It will
rebloom sporadically even if it isn’t
trimmed after the first flush. Geranium
‘Anne Thomson’ is similar, but
reblooms with more gusto with or
without pruning.Geranium psilostemon