Photos thanks to Walters Gardens, Inc.

2008 Perennial Plant of the Year®

The Perennial Plant Association announced the 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year© was Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (Rozanne cranesbill geranium). Large, jeweltone, violet-blue flowers combined with deep green, lightly marbled foliage and an extended season of interest make Geranium ‘Rozanne’ a “must-have” for any garden.

Donald and Rozanne Waterer discovered this strong performing geranium in their garden in Somerset, England in 1989. Geranium ‘Rozanne’ stood out among its peers with its 2.5-inch, iridescent violet-blue, cup-shaped flowers with purple-violet veins and radiant white centers, vigorous foliage, and bloom time from late spring to early fall. The dark green foliage, which is deeply cut and lightly marbled with chartreuse, turns red in the autumn for additional impact. This hybrid, in the family Geraniaceae, is the result of a cross between Geranium himalayense and Geranium wallichianum ‘Buxton’s Variety’. Blooms of Bressingham introduced Rozanne at the 2000 Chelsea Flower Show. Occasionally in reference books the name GERWAT is associated with ‘Rozanne’. GERWAT is the identifier for this plant used in association with European Plant Breeders Rights: “GER” for geranium and “WAT” for the discoverer Waterer.

The 20-inch high Rozanne geranium mounds to a 24-28 inch spread. It thrives in full sun to partial shade (afternoon shade is advisable in hot climates) in moist, well-draining soil. It boasts exceptional heat tolerance and drought tolerance among the geraniums and is hardy in USDA zones 5-8. To maintain peak appearance, gardeners should shear back old foliage to 3-inches in August to promote new growth. Side branches may be removed to control spread. No insect or disease pests are known to attack Rozanne.

Gardeners can cultivate Geranium ‘Rozanne’ as a dynamic ground cover or as an attractive specimen plant for the front of the border. In June it combines well with Leucanthemum ‘Snowcap’ or ‘Silberprinzesschen‘ (Silver Princess). For a long season performance, try pairing Rozanne with Salvia nemorosa ‘Rose Queen’ or ‘Pink Friesland’. Another great violet/pink combo includes Veronica spicata ‘Tickled Pink’.

To emphasize autumn interest, shorter grasses such as Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Little Bunny’ or ‘Little Honey’ are superb companions to Geranium ‘Rozanne’ or you may back it with Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’. Nice as a filler between daylilies or garden phlox, Rozanne also combines well with hostas in shades of bluegrey or yellowish-green or simply can be allowed to weave its way through a planting of shrubs. Massed plantings of Rozanne provide carefree, billowy-textured mounds in the cottage garden. This cranesbill geranium also looks beautiful in front of bushy roses, such as the free-flowering, golden ‘Graham Thomas’. Rozanne’s energetic habit makes it a worthy tenant of patio containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets. For good reason, Geranium ‘Rozanne’ has been called “the geranium of the millennium.”

Photos thanks to Midwest Groundcovers.

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PLANT DATA

Hardiness
USDA Zones 5 to 8

Light
It thrives in full sun to partial shade (afternoon shade is advisable in hot climates)

Size
20 inches tall; 24-28 inches wide

Soil
This hardy geranium prefers moist, well-draining soil