Plant Overview
Dark pink flowers are borne in loose clusters on slender, upright stems above a dense clump of attractive foliage. Flowers over a long period, from May to September.
Plants form dense, weed suppressing clumps of green and red foliage which do well even in dark, dry shade. Happy in a sunny spot too.
Attractive to bees.
Height and Spread: 75x 45cm
Myth and Legend
Apparently, the Prophet Mohammed, whilst resting beside a stream, decided to wash his shirt in the water. Having done so, he spread his shirt out to dry on a bed of mallows that grew close by and then lay down and slept. As he slept, a miraculous transformation occurred. First the mallows blushed with pleasure at having the opportunity to serve the great man. Then, by the time he awoke, the mallows had all been transformed into cranesbills.
Traditionally, cranesbills offer protection against snakes and serpents. Hence the following country rhyme:
Snakes will not go
Where geraniums grow.
Dreaming of geraniums is meant to be a sign that you need not worry about a recent quarrel, as it meant nothing and will soon be forgotten.
Common name(s): Hardy geranium; Big-root cranesbill
