Perennial geranium is a variety that has the advantage of being hardy and thus resists freezing.
Key Perennial Geranium facts
Name – Geranium
Family – Geraniaceae
Type – perennial
Height – 8 to 24 inches (20 to 60 cm)
Exposure – full sun, part sun
Soil: ordinary, well drained – Flowering: end spring → early fall
Sowing, pruning and caring for it will help you get magnificent flowers all summer long.
Planting perennial geranium
Perennial geranium, whether planted as a ground cover or trimmed into a bushy mound, will do just as well in part sun as it will in full sun.
Since each species is a little different in this respect, make sure you select the variety according to exposure in your garden.
Preferably in fall or spring in a mix that includes geranium-specific soil mix.- Prepare the soil by removing large rocks and stones.
- Any type of soil will do for perennial geranium, but the richer the soil, the stronger the blooming.
- Space plants around 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 cm) apart.
Even though it’s resilient, water your perennial geranium well in the months following the planting.
Once it has settled in well, no need to water it anymore.
- Propagate through crown division in fall.
When used for ground cover, perennial geranium is very effective at stopping weeds from growing
Perennial geranium care
Cut stems back after they have flowered in order to trigger production of new flowers. That way, you’ll avert seed-bearing which typically drains your perennial geraniums’ strength.
This step of removing spent flowers is called dead-heading. Instead of trying to produce fruit or seed, the plant sends more flowers out!
Perennial geranium is highly drought-resistant, and once it has settled in properly, the occasional rainshower will cover its needs. It also knows to send its roots deep into the soil for water, if need be.
In case of drought and/or strong heat wave, you can water: this will increase blooming.
Every year, in spring, adding geranium flower fertilizer will considerably increase blooming and growth for your perennial geranium.
Should you prune perennial geranium?
In fall, it helps to eliminate old branches and any dried or dead stems from the plant. This gives it a fresh start.
→ Read also: benefits of geranium for health
Learn more about the perennial geranium
Perennial geranium is a hardy, resilient plant with foliage as beautiful as its blooms.
It comes in a vast array of species and each has distinctive shapes and colors. For instance, on the ‘Patricia’ geranium, blooming can last for over 6 months!
An easy plant to grow, it has the advantage of bearing a beautiful blooming and is overall quite well balanced. Typically, colors are in the blue or pink range.
In a flower bed or also along edges and in rocky ground, perennial geraniums can serve as excellent ground cover and beautiful garden box specimens.
Perennial geranium is often confused with another common geranium often found in garden boxes and pots: pelargonium.
→ Discover: geranium Rozanne, a beautiful ground cover flower
Smart tip about perennial geranium
You can provide it with geranium-specific organic liquid fertilizer once or twice in the season to increase blooming.
Should I cut back the dead heads on my perenial geranium and will they flower again this year?
Hello Lena, yes, go ahead and snip those empty flower stalks off. It should trigger new flowers, especially if you water well (just make sure it excess water drains out easily). It should bloom until the first frosts.