Geranium Orkney Cherry

Description

Geranium ‘Orkney Cherry’ – cranesbill

Botanical name: Geranium ‘Orkney Cherry’
Common names: Cranesbill
Family: Geraniaceae
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Habit: Low, compact, spreading, mound-forming
Pot size: 2–3 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 20–25cm tall × 45cm spread
Foliage: Small, lobed, bronze-tinted green leaves, richest in good light; deciduous
Flowers: A long succession of bright cherry-pink flowers with a paler eye, from early summer into autumn (June–September)
Scent: Not notably scented
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Most soils; moist but well-drained, fertile; 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 ‘Orkney Cherry’ is a compact, long-flowering cranesbill with bright cherry-pink flowers over bronze-tinted foliage, from early summer into autumn. Superb for edging, the front of borders and pots.

GardenAdvice notes

A charming, compact modern cranesbill, ‘Orkney Cherry’ combines attractive bronze-tinted foliage with a long succession of bright cherry-pink, pale-eyed flowers from early summer into autumn. Low, neat and spreading, it is ideal for edging, the front of a border, a rock garden or a container, and its long season and cheerful colour make it a hard-working little plant.

Growing & planting

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

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. It flowers over a very long season with little help; deadhead or shear over lightly if it becomes untidy in midsummer, and it will keep going into autumn. Cut down old growth in late winter. Lift and divide congested clumps every few years in spring.

Propagation

• Division: Lift and divide established clumps in spring, as growth begins.

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 for edging, the front of sunny and lightly shaded borders, rock gardens, gravel and containers, where its bronze foliage and long succession of cherry-pink flowers bring months of colour.

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

‘Orkney Cherry’ is a lovely compact cranesbill for the front of a border or a pot — bright cherry-pink flowers over bronze-tinted foliage, going on for months. The bronze leaf colour is richest in good light, so give it a reasonably sunny spot. Unlike the old flush-flowering cranesbills, it doesn’t need a hard chop; just tidy it lightly if it sprawls.

Our plants are guaranteed for 24 months for more details Click Here