The Well-Tended Perennial Garden The Essential Guide to Planting and Pruning Techniques, Third Edition

Geranium sanguineum

bloody cranesbill

geraniaceae

Pink, magenta, or white flowers; small,

lobed leaves

6–15 in. high; 24 in. wide

Full sun–part shade

Blooms May–August

Zones 3–8

pruning I usually don’t bother to go

through the tedious process of

deadheading the hundreds of little

“cranes” that develop on this plant. I

wait until most of the flowering,

including sporadic rebloom, is

finished and plants are looking rough,

usually in late summer, and I cut the

plant back (using hedge shears) to the

fresh basal foliage, which turns

crimson in the autumn. Plants do not

need to be pruned down for the winter.

The waxy leaves hold well until spring,

at which point any dead leaves can be

removed, although this usually is not

even necessary, as new growth quickly

covers any dead foliage. Some

reseeding occurs when deadheading is

omitted. If deadheading is desired,

rather than removing deadheads one

by one with pruners, a less arduous

approach is to shear them off along

with about 4 in. of foliage after the

main flowering is finished. Plants can

be shaped at the same time if desired,

which may be helpful to keep plants

from encroaching into neighboring

perennials’ space. Sporadic rebloom

appears to be the same on deadheaded

and nondeadheaded plants.

other maintenance This is a very

tough, long-lived, sun-loving gera-

nium. While it is tolerant of many soil

types, it requires good drainage and

may spread excessively in overly rich

soil. Bloody cranesbill is drought

tolerant. It usually doesn’t require

division. Side shoots can be removed,

without lifting the plant, to help

confine expanding clumps.

related plantS Geranium san-

guineum ‘Cedric Morris’, a compact

form (8 in.), has large flowers that

bloom about 2 weeks earlier and last

longer than those of the species. ‘Max

Frei’ has diminutive leaves and a

compact habit, growing 6 in. tall. It’s a

good choice where space is limited.

‘New Hampshire’ is a choice

long-blooming cultivar with a

wide-spreading habit.

Geum hybrids

(Geum coccineum × Geum quellyon)

geum

r oSaceae

Yellow, orange, or scarlet flowers; fuzzy,

lobed basal leaves

18–24 in. high; 18 in. wide

Full sun

Blooms May–June

Zones 5–7

pruning Plants flower strongly in

May and June and intermittently after

that, sometimes until autumn, with

deadheading. Flowering spikes are

branched. Deadhead to lateral flowers,

then when all flowering on the spike is

finished, cut it down to the foliage. If

foliage declines after flowering,

deadleaf or cut back once new basal

growth is evident. Keep moist. Plants

remain semi-evergreen into the

winter; cut back as needed in the

Geranium sanguineum
‘Max Frei’