Cultivating Perennial Geraniums in the Iowa Landscape
In the world of perennial gardening, the Chicago Botanic Garden has highlighted a standout cultivar that's perfect for Midwestern landscapes - 'Rozanne'. This hardy geranium, scientifically known as 'Gerwat', boasts a height of 20 inches and a width of 60 inches, making it an ideal choice for edging perennial beds in full sun.
'Rozanne' is celebrated for its mounding habit and its versatile blue flowers that blend seamlessly with other garden colours. This cultivar's long bloom time, starting from early summer and extending through fall, makes it a crowd-pleaser for garden enthusiasts.
The Chicago Botanic Garden's extensive Geranium collection, which includes about 160 taxa as of 2025, indicates a continued interest in diverse Geranium cultivars for various landscape uses. However, 'Rozanne' stands out as a proven favourite due to its exceptional performance and aesthetics.
Other popular perennial geraniums, like the bloody cranesbill, are often recommended for low maintenance and drought tolerance in similar regions. While not explicitly named in the Chicago Botanic Garden's recommendations, these varieties share the cranesbills' reliability in blooming and hardiness in sites with full sun to part shade and well-drained soils.
Cranesbills, or hardy geraniums, are known for their few insect or disease problems and their longevity in the landscape. Their long, slender fruit resembling a crane's beak is the origin of their name.
With a variety of cultivars available, each offering differences in bloom time, flower colour, flower size, height, leaf colour, and habit, gardeners have a wealth of choices to create stunning and vibrant gardens. From the pale pinks and lavenders of 'Cambridge' and 'Brookside' to the intense purple-pinks and blues of 'Rozanne' and 'Orion', there's a geranium for every gardener's taste.
So, whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, consider adding 'Rozanne' to your garden. Its beauty and resilience are sure to make it a beloved addition to your Midwestern landscape.
- 'Rozanne', a celebrated hardy geranium, boasts versatile blue flowers that effortlessly blend into various garden color schemes.
- The Chicago Botanic Garden's Geranium collection comprises numerous cultivars for diverse landscape uses, with 'Rozanne' standing out for its exceptional performance and aesthetics.
- Other popular perennials like the blood cranesbill, known for their low maintenance, drought tolerance, and few insect or disease problems, are often recommended for Midwestern landscapes.
- Cranesbills, or hardy geraniums, are an excellent choice for those seeking plants with a long lifespan, few insect or disease issues, and attractive, crane-like fruit.
- For home-and-garden enthusiasts, exploring the vast array of geranium cultivars available today can lead to discovering the perfect plants for their gardening lifestyle, whether they prefer the pastel hues of 'Cambridge' and 'Brookside' or the intense colors of 'Rozanne' and 'Orion'.
