Geum rivale Mai tai

The Geum 'Mai Tai' is a variety of avens with a compact habit, as delightful as it is floriferous. From a carpet of soft, green leaves rise graceful stems tinged with red, bearing slightly crumpled flowers that gradually turn from apricot to salmon as they age, before transforming into feathery brown fruits. Together, they create a tender bouquet with the delicacy of a watercolor, which is hard to resist. In full sun, its warm color, without being garish, gives a taste of summer. In a sunny border, pair it with blue forget-me-nots, perennial geranium 'Patricia', or perennial flax for a stunning effect.

The genus Geum, from the family Rosaceae, is rich in about 50 species of herbaceous perennial plants native to temperate-colder regions of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Hardy, avens appreciate sunny and open exposures, as well as cool but well-drained soils. Varieties derived from Geum rivale, a species found in wet mountainous areas, do not tolerate dry soils in summer.

The cultivar 'Mai Tai', resulting from the cross-breeding between the varieties 'Mango Lassi' and G. rivale 'Flames of Passion', was selected in Illinois, USA for its long flowering period and the quite fantastic color of its flowers. The plant forms a dense clump of basal foliage, about 30 cm (12in) wide, composed of erect leaves, 20 cm (8in) long in total including their 7 to 8 cm (3in) long petiole. They are divided into toothed and finely velvety leaflets, more or less persistent in winter, and have a fresh, almost acidulous, spring green color.

The very long flowering period begins in May and extends until August if faded flowers are regularly removed. The pendulous flower buds are wrapped in mauve-purple sepals. They open into single to semi-double flowers, with 5 to 8 petals, 3 - 4 cm (1 - 2in) in diameter, carried at a height of 40-45 cm (16-18in) above the ground on slightly purple-tinged stems. The slightly translucent petals of this avens evolve from orange at the opening to soft salmon pink, passing through peach. The fruiting is adorned with beautiful feathery brown aigrettes.

This avens will be perfect in a border, planted in groups of 3 or 5 plants to create a stunning mass effect, or even placed in a pot on the terrace or balcony. Hardy and very floriferous, the avens is an easy and accommodating plant, worth rediscovering for its simplicity and durability. It appreciates sunny or semi-shaded positions and grows in ordinary soil, but it needs to be cool and well-drained. To fully enjoy its magnificent flowering, give it some space to develop, and make sure to leave enough space around its base. It will blend beautifully with other spring and summer flowering perennials, its orange color contrasting cleverly with the blue of not-too-tall delphiniums, phlox, forget-me-nots, and perennial geraniums. By mixing several varieties of avens together, you can create sublime scenes with vibrant colors! In the sun, it pairs perfectly with daylilies, rudbeckias, scabiosa, as well as with small grasses like Stipa tenuifolia or pennata. Its marriage with heucheras is always successful.