Himalayan cranesbill

Himalayan cranesbill: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense, spreading clump about 40 cm tall and 60 cm wide, with short, creeping rhizomes.

Leaves

Rounded and deeply divided into seven lobes, fresh green; often red and orange in autumn.

Flower

Saucer-shaped, 4–5 cm across, violet-blue with a white centre and fine reddish-purple veins, June to August.

Fruit

A slender, beak-shaped fruit that splits open when ripe and flings out the seeds.

Roots

Fleshy rhizomes that spread steadily: the clump gets a little wider every year.

Flowering: June–August · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March and July

Why grow it?

• Large, sky-blue flowers from June to August, often with a second flush if you cut it back after the first flowering.
• Excellent ground cover: the dense clump and rhizomes keep weeds down.
• Loved by bees and bumblebees, which easily reach the nectar and pollen in the open, saucer-shaped flowers.
• The leaves often turn red and orange in autumn.
• Very hardy and easy: grows in sun or partial shade in almost any soil.
• Lovely as an edging along a path, under roses or between shrubs.

Himalayan cranesbill: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; it flowers most freely in full sun, as long as the soil does not dry out.
• Almost any decent garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid, neutral or chalky.
• Moderately moist, well-drained soil; no waterlogging in winter.
• Allow 50–60 cm between plants, as the clump spreads.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.4 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

• Roses: The classic pairing: the blue cranesbill covers the bare base of the roses.
• Lady’s mantle: Lime-green flower sprays beside the blue flowers, in the same sun or partial shade.
• Daylily: Orange or yellow flowers and narrow leaves contrast with the rounded, divided foliage.
• Ornamental grasses: Airy stems above the low, dense clump, attractive well into autumn.

Himalayan cranesbill: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in some compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot: the top of the root ball level with the soil.
4. Space plants 50–60 cm apart; as ground cover allow about 4 plants per m².
5. Water well straight away and again during dry spells in the first weeks.
6. Spread a thin layer of compost or leaf mulch between young plants to discourage weeds.

Care

Watering

Once established it copes with a short dry spell. Water during long droughts, especially after cutting back.

Feeding

A thin layer of compost in March–April is enough. Too much fertiliser gives soft, floppy foliage.

Cutting back

After the first flowering, in July, cut the whole clump back to 5–10 cm for fresh leaves and often a second flush.

Tidying

In March, remove the old, dead leaves before the new foliage emerges.

Dividing

Every 3–5 years, when the centre of the clump becomes bare or it spreads too far.

Tip: After the first flowering, cut the whole clump back to 5–10 cm and water it: within a few weeks you will have fresh leaves and often a second flowering.

Himalayan cranesbill: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and July.

When: In July, after the first flowering, cut the clump back hard. In March, clear away the old, dead leaves.

How:

• After the first flush, cut all flower stems and old leaves back to 5–10 cm above the ground.
• Then water and add some compost: within a few weeks new leaves appear, often with a second, smaller flowering.
• Leave the clump standing in autumn: the leaves colour beautifully.
• In March, cut away dead leaves and stems to just above the new shoots.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or September: cut a piece with rhizome and a few shoots from the edge of the clump and replant it straight away.

Basal cuttings

In April: cut young shoots with a small piece of rhizome and root them in a pot of moist cutting compost.

Himalayan cranesbill: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −35 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The leaves die back in winter; the plant regrows from its rhizomes in March–April.
• Leave the dead leaves in place until spring: they protect the rhizomes and shelter insects.
• In a pot: move it against a wall in severe frost so the root ball does not freeze solid.

Diseases and pests

• Flopping: After the first flowering the clump falls open and looks untidy. Cut it back to 5–10 cm: it recovers quickly.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in dry summers. Water, cut off affected leaves and leave space for air between plants.
• Slugs: They eat the young leaves in spring. Pick them off in the evening and keep the soil around the plant open.
• Spreading too far: The clump grows over its neighbours. Chop back the edge with a spade every year.

Through the year

• March: Clear old leaves. Plant or divide. Add compost.
• April: Plant. Watch for slugs on the young leaves.
• May: Flower buds. Water young plants in dry spells.
• June: Flowering begins.
• July: After the first flush, cut back to 5–10 cm. Water and add compost.
• August: Second flush. Water during long droughts.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Autumn colour in the leaves. Plant.
• November: Leave dead leaves in place as winter protection.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Geranium comes from the Greek geranos, crane: the long, beak-shaped fruit resembles the bird’s bill, hence also the name cranesbill.
• When the fruit is ripe, the beak suddenly curls up and flings the seeds some distance from the plant.
• The popular cranesbill ‘Johnson’s Blue’ is a cross between this species and the native meadow cranesbill (Geranium pratense).