Geranium Bevans Variety

Description

Geranium ‘Bevan’s Variety’ – cranesbill

Botanical name: Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Bevan’s Variety’
Common names: Cranesbill, bigroot geranium
Family: Geraniaceae
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Habit: Low, spreading, mat-forming groundcover
Pot size: 2–3 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 30–40cm tall × 60cm spread (spreading)
Foliage: Aromatic, lobed, soft green leaves, colouring red and bronze in autumn; semi-evergreen to evergreen
Flowers: Clusters of magenta-crimson flowers with red calyces in early summer (May–June)
Scent: Foliage aromatic when brushed
Aspect / light: Full sun to full shade; tolerates dry shade
Soil: Most soils; well-drained; tolerates dry shade and poor soil once established; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H7 (very hardy, below −20°C); USDA zones 4–8
Exposure: Sheltered or exposed; very tolerant
Native range: Garden form; hardy geraniums are native across Europe and Asia
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Geranium ‘Bevan’s Variety’ is a superb, tough groundcover cranesbill with aromatic foliage and magenta-crimson early-summer flowers. One of the very best plants for dry shade under trees and shrubs.

GardenAdvice notes

One of the most useful plants in the whole garden, this bigroot cranesbill forms dense, weed-suppressing carpets of aromatic, lobed foliage — semi-evergreen, colouring red and bronze in autumn — studded in early summer with vivid magenta-crimson flowers. Remarkably tough and adaptable, it thrives in sun or deep shade and, crucially, copes with the dry shade beneath trees and shrubs where few plants will grow at all.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring or autumn in most soils soil in full sun to full shade; tolerates dry shade — hardy geraniums are among the easiest and most adaptable of all perennials. Space about 45cm apart. Water while establishing.

Care & maintenance

Very low-maintenance. Simply shear it over after flowering to tidy it and freshen the foliage, and remove any tatty leaves in spring — being largely evergreen it needs no hard cutting back. Water while establishing; thereafter it is notably drought-tolerant. Lift and divide, or detach rooted pieces, in spring or autumn.

Propagation

• Division: Lift and divide, or detach rooted pieces of the surface rhizomes, in spring or autumn — extremely easy.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free and healthy — hardy geraniums are among the most reliable of all perennials. Slugs may graze new growth, and powdery mildew or rust can occur in dry spells. Otherwise easy.

Uses in the garden

Superb as tough, weed-suppressing groundcover in sun or shade, especially in dry shade under trees and shrubs, on banks, for edging, and beneath roses, where its aromatic foliage and bright flowers earn their place.

Wildlife value

Hardy geraniums are excellent for pollinators: their open, saucer-shaped flowers are very attractive to bees, hoverflies and other beneficial insects, often over a long season.

Toxicity & safety

Hardy geraniums are generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets. Note that they are quite different from pelargoniums (the tender bedding and pot ‘geraniums’), which are toxic to cats and dogs.

GardenAdvice tip

If you have dry shade under a tree — that most difficult of spots — this is one of the very best plants you can reach for. It forms a dense, weed-smothering carpet of aromatic leaves that colour up in autumn, needs no real care, and rewards you with vivid magenta flowers in early summer. Just shear it over after flowering to freshen it.

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