Hardy Geranium Kashmir White

One of the longest flowering hardy geraniums or cranesbills, Geranium clarkei Kashmir White is a hardy, herbaceous perennial with a mound-forming habit. The mid-green leaves are deeply divided into seven lobes. Single, white flowers with pretty purple veins, 1 /4cm wide, are borne between June and September, very attractive against the mound of leaves. Cut back hard after the first flush is over, and fresh leaves and more flowers will come back. Hardy geranium Kashmir White spreads by means of rhizomes, and can spread up to 5/1-1.5m, but is easily divided in spring. A very pretty and useful plant for the front of the border.

Site: Tolerates exposure
Soil: Any well-drained soil, preferably moist
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Flowering period: June to September
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: 18 (45cm) Spread: up to 5 (1.5m)

About this cultivar:

Geraniumclarkei ‘Kashmir White’ is a wonderful, easy to grow Geranium with a white whispy airy habit. Great for ground cover, great anywhere.

For more info, I’ve put a screen shot fromHardy Geraniums (1985) by Peter F. Yeo ofCambridgeUniversity. Which is a great book if you likeGeraniumsbuy the way…

The species, Geranium clarkei, is a rhizomatous hardy geranium that is native to alpine meadows in the mountains of Kashmir. It flowers profusely bloom from late spring to early summer. Dark green leaves are deeply cut and form an attractive foliage mat.

• Position:Full sun, partial shade
• Soil:Almost any soil,grows well in Ballyrobert
• Flowers:June,July, August
• Other features:Grows well in Ballyrobert
• Hardiness:H6 – Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15C),Fully hardy – grows well in Ballyrobert!
• Habit: Clump forming, bushy, trailing
• Foliage:Deciduous
• Height: 30- 45cm (1 – 1.5 ft)
• Spread:60- 90 cm (2 – 3 ft)
• Time to full growth:2 to 5 years
• Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
• Colour: Green,white
• Goes well with:–

About this genus:

Geranium is a genus of 422 species of flowering plants found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and the five-petaled-flowers can be white, pink, purple or blue, often with distinctive veining. The genus name is derived from the Greek granos meaning crane. The common name iscranesbill. Why the crane reference? Well, some species in the Geranium genus have a distinctive mechanism for seed dispersal.

This consists of a column which springs open when ripe and casts the seeds some distance. The shape of the unsprung column looks like the bill of a crane- therefore cranesbill!

Geranium is often confused with its close cousin Pelargonium (florist geranium). The two plants were originally lumped into the one genus (genus Geranium), but in the 1780s, the genus Pelargonium was split from Geranium. However, by that time the common name “geranium” for the florists plants was part of the public vernacular and it stuck.

Geraniums are not as flashy as many perennials, but are getting more and more popualr again as newer cultivars become more floriferous and for longer. The attractive foliage of Geraniums, combined with their blendable, butterfly-attracting, spring and summer flowers, make geraniums staples in the perennial garden.

The genus geranium has long been recognized as one of the most durable and easy to grow perennials for the garden. They love sun or part shade and will grow in any soil that isn’t waterlogged.

How to use them? Oh, the list is endless and often depends on the specific geranium, its height, habit and colour – they are not just “ground cover” plants!