Most of us have grown perennial cranesbills (hardy Geranium) at one time or another. Not to be confused with pelargonium, the ubiquitous houseplant and scented foliage varieties known colloquially as simply “geraniums”. Cranesbills are so common, we frequently dismiss them as not worth our attention. Add to their familiarity a reputation for erratic performance, and it’s easy to see why cranesbills aren’t as popular as they could be. I’m willing to bet most of us have had at least one unsatisfying experience– I certainly have.
It doesn’t help that so many cranesbills look similar. You might assume they’re all pretty much the same. Yet cranesbills have proven time and again they’re not as interchangeable as growers would have you believe. That’s not the plant’s fault. As with any family, individual varieties are unique and perform accordingly. The problem lies with the sellers, who don’t provide enough information, and ourselves, who prefer our plants to require the lowest maintenance possible.
As a result, aside from choice cultivars like Rozanne and Johnson’s Blue, cranesbills often disappoint. We expect them to provide nonstop color all summer with no care from us. Instead they sprawl, they stall, quit flowering, flop, and entangle.
What’s a gardener to do?