A workhorse in my garden is the hardy geranium, sometimes called “cranesbill” because of the pointed shape of its seedpod. These geranium live on year after year in our temperate climate. The geranium that we fill hanging baskets or planters with every spring are in the same botanical family as the hardy geranium (Geraniaceae), but they are in a separate subgroup from the geranium that is the staple in my garden. The Pelargonium, which we treasure for its summer color, is the brightly flowered “geranium” that does not winter over in our hardiness zones unless it is sheltered indoors or in a protected area.

There are hundreds of varieties of hardy geranium, and there is a variety for every situation. When I retrieved a section of my yard from blackberries and salal, I then had a shaded area under mostly native elderberries. I learned about two geranium species that flourish in the shade: the Geranium phaeum and the Geranium macrorrhizum. The latter plant, sometimes called the bigroot geranium because of its thick rhizomes, grows in both sun and shade and is a vigorous spreader. Its bright pink flowers appear in early spring and sporadically throughout the summer.

The phaeum variety (from the Latin, meaning “brownish”) is sometimes called the mourning widow or dusky cranesbill because of its dark flowers. This geranium seeds in easily and is a fast grower, with flowers in late spring. It loves shady locations. Two varieties of the mourning widow geranium stand out: ‘Samobor’ and ‘Lily Lovell’. An early bloomer, ‘Lily Lovell’ has some of the largest flowers in the species, which appear as early as April and always in abundance. The eggplant-colored flowers stand out above the plant’s light-green foliage.

It is hard to choose which sun-loving Geranium to rave about, but my picks are ‘Rozanne’, ‘Ann Folkard’ and ‘Espresso’. ‘Rozanne’ and ‘Ann Folkard’ are both powerhouse growers. ‘Rozanne’ is a clump-forming geranium that typically grows in a mound to 20” tall by 24” wide. It is noted for its almost non-stop flowering throughout the growing season. Those who have visited gardens in Grays Harbor County during the annual Master Gardener garden tour will have seen a spectacular riverbed of violet-blue ‘Rozanne’ geranium in a garden near the Westport Winery.

With its magenta flowers and chartreuse foliage, ‘Ann Folkard’ sprawls over sunny locations, spreading up to six feet across. It is a great plant for knitting flowering areas together.

The ‘Espresso’ geranium is named for its latte-colored leaves that are deeply cut and five-lobed. It typically forms a loose mound of foliage to 24” tall and 18” wide. Lavender flowers appear in spring to early summer for 6-7 weeks. It is the coffee-colored leaves that are the distinctive feature of this cultivar. Pale lavender-pink flowers appear in late spring/early summer. ‘Espresso’ is at home in both sunny and part-shade areas.

Two other geranium notables are, first, ‘Johnson’s Blue’, renowned for its aggresive tendency to spread via runners in any sunny area. The second is a geranium called ‘Splish Splash’. A sunlover, it forms a large clump, reaching 30”. The flowers are unique—like white petunias with splashes of blue ink.

Hardy geranium may easily be found in our local nurseries and by mail order.

Don’t miss the 20th annual garden tour sponsored by the WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties. On July 15, come to the North River/Menlo area in Pacific County to tour five charming gardens. The gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Master Gardeners’ educational outreach to the public.

Mary Shane, a Master Gardener since 1998, lives in the Val Vista area west of Montesano.