Geranium “Rozanne” – Cranesbill Geranium
Violet-blue flowers growing atop mounds of slightly marbled, deep green foliage.
Habit:
Spreading herbaceous plant growing to about 50cm. The plant pictured above is less than a year old. Lengthy flowering period from November to April. This plant was voted the “Plant Of The Century” by RHS members at the UK RHS Centenary Chelsea Flower Show in 2013. Adrian Bloom extols the virtues of Geranium Rozanne.
Origins:
G. Rozanne is the result of an accidental cross in 1989 in Somerset, UK, between early-flowering G. himalayense and the later- and freely-flowering G. wallichianum ‘Buxton’s Variety’. Both parents are native to the Himalayas. Plant Breeders Rights worldwide are owned by Blooms of Bressingham, where Adrian Bloom described it to me as “the only Geranium you’ll ever need”. Lyndale Nurseries in Auckland hold the Plant Variety Rights (PVR) in New Zealand.
Soil / Aspect:
G. Rozanne grows on a variety of soils, in full sun or partial shade, provided it is not too dry. If it is in full sun it will need watering in the height of the Tasman summer, to prolong flowering.
Maintenance:
This plant suffers from no discernible pests or diseases. It should be cut back to the ground in winter. A plant may be divided after two or three years.