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Herbaceous Perennial

Geranium sinense

Chinese cranesbill

A low, spreading perennial, to 60cm tall, with deeply-veined leaves, to 10cm or more across, glossy, bright green above, paler below. Small, nodding flowers are held in loose clusters, the rounded, sharply-reflexed, petals are dark maroon-black, rose-pink at the base and are borne in mid to late summer

Synonyms

Geranium delavayi misapplied
Geranium platypetalum Franch.

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Geraniaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Trailing
Genus: Geranium can be annuals, biennials and perennials, herbaceous or evergreen, with rounded, usually palmately lobed or divided leaves, and lax inflorescences of rounded, 5-petalled flowers
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Yunnan, Sichuan provinces, China

How to grow

Cultivation

Grows best in part or full shade in moderately fertile, well-drained soil, but most soils (unless waterlogged) are tolerated. Especially good in damp shade

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring or basal cuttings in early or mid-spring and root with bottom heat. Propagate by seed in containers outdoors as soon as ripe or in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds
Ground cover
Banks and slopes
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Cut flowered stems and old leaves to the base to encourage new foliage and flowers

Pests

May be damaged by capsid bug, vine weevil larvae, sawfly larvae, slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to a rust, downy mildews, leafy gall, a virus and powdery mildews

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