Geranium phaeum Samabor

Description

Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’ – mourning widow

Botanical name: Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’
Common names: Mourning widow, dusky cranesbill
Family: Geraniaceae
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Habit: Upright, clump-forming
Pot size: 2–3 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 60–75cm tall × 45cm spread
Foliage: Softly lobed green leaves boldly marked with a dramatic dark maroon-purple band or blotch; deciduous
Flowers: Nodding, elegant deep maroon-black flowers with reflexed petals, on slender stems, in late spring to early summer (May–June)
Scent: Not notably scented
Aspect / light: Partial to full shade; tolerates dry shade
Soil: Most soils; humus-rich, moist but well-drained; tolerates dry shade; 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 ‘Samobor’ is a striking mourning widow with foliage boldly banded in dark maroon and nodding near-black flowers. Superb, characterful groundcover for shade and dry shade under trees.

GardenAdvice notes

The most distinctive of the dusky cranesbills, ‘Samobor’ is grown as much for its foliage as its flowers — each soft green leaf is boldly marked with a dramatic dark maroon-purple band, giving season-long interest — while nodding, near-black flowers with reflexed petals appear on slender stems in late spring. Tough and adaptable, it thrives in the dry shade beneath trees and shrubs and self-seeds gently.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring or autumn in most soils soil in partial 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

Low-maintenance. Shear the whole plant over after flowering to tidy it and encourage a fresh mound of foliage. It self-seeds gently, which is usually welcome as it colonises shady ground, but seedlings are easily removed. Cut down old growth in late winter. Water while establishing; thereafter it tolerates dry shade well.

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 in shady and woodland borders, under trees and shrubs, in dry shade and with ferns and hostas, where its boldly banded foliage gives season-long interest and its dark flowers add moody character.

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

‘Samobor’ is worth growing for the foliage alone — each leaf boldly banded in dark maroon, giving interest all season, with brooding near-black flowers as a bonus in late spring. It’s one of the best plants for dry shade under trees. Shear it over once flowering finishes and it throws up a fresh mound of that handsome banded foliage.

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