PlantFiles: Cranesbill, Bigroot Geranium, Bulgarian Geranium, Rock Crane's-bill
Geranium macrorrhizum

The two incredibly differing conditions (in different gardens the same town) where I have grown this plant speak to its ruggedness. In my old garden, I bought a root from a mail-order company and planted it at the edge of a woodland garden here in the city, where the soil was pretty alkaline because it was by a sidewalk (leaching from concrete tends to make nearby soil alkaline) and it had a tendency to alternate between being dry and wet, and it spread along the open-air fence, blooming well despite only getting sun early and late in the day. In my current garden, I bought it at an autumn plant sale and it overwintered in a small pot (!), and this spring I planted it near a bearded iris clump in my sloped sunny garden that is uncharacteristically hot and windy for my region, and it is putting out its gorgeous leaves and again creeping along (though others on this page say it blooms earlier in warmer regions, it usually blooms starting between mid-June and early July for me here). As it's creeping past the bearded iris clump, to reach above the tall foliage it has sent its big rhizomatous roots up into the air, like some sort of alien being. How could one plant be so interesting and varied?

I have 'album' and 'bevan's variety'. I wish I had all 'Albums', as the white flowers are sweeter looking and also easier to coordinate with other flower colors. The Bevan's variety spreads a bit faster. This is a vigorous evergreen ground cover adaptable to a variety of conditions. Mine are in the dryish shade of Camellia bushes. Blooms in May and spreads moderately fast via underground rhizomes. Too vigorous to plant in the company of wimpy plants. Still, they are not as hard to control as many spreading groundcovers; I find I am removing the unwanted ones to keep them in bounds a couple times a year. They make up for this work by being very effective themselves at suppressing weeds--I have almost no weeds coming up through their thick surface roots.

I have it in part shade. Foliage is in a low rounded mass about 8 inches high. Stems are gradually creeping sideways to enlarge the clump. I pulled off and potted some of the long stems two weeks ago; some had roots and some didn't but they all look great so far. Voles have a home under it but haven't killed it yet.
Foliage is evergreen here and has fall color.

This is an incredible spreader - 3 small plants merged into a 7 foot clump. Very tidy leaves & many blooms. Easily pulled to control.

Unfortunately, voles attacked it last year, leaving big hole in center which I suspect will fill in before long.

I have several and like them very much. I have found that my neighbor's rabbits also like them. I hope this year I can find a way to protect them. Last year just as they were blooming, they got munched nearly to the ground.

The macrorrhizum geranium family is high on my list of favorite plants. They spread nicely without being invasive. The many delicately beautiful blossoms are held high above the foliage in June.
They can be grown anywhere it seems, even in shady dry areas.
A big bonus is the aromatic foliage, I heard is said that it is used in Woodland scented perfumes.

I have found this plant pleasant and useful to grow in dry shade. It is hardy, beautiful in spring (flowering) and fall (with its colorful leaves), and fragrant of leaf.

This Geranium is not related to the annual bedding or container plant known by the common name geranium (Pelargonium spp.). This perennial Geranium is mounded in form with scented leaves. It is rhizomatous. Flowers are in clusters. Seedheads are pinkish-brown. Fall colors are a combination of red, rust, gold, purple or orange.