Geum Tutti Frutti

Geum 'Tutti Frutti' is a truly different hybrid avens with a whimsical and unpredictable flowering, in a flamboyant range of colours. Generous and prolonged, it produces single to double, solid or multicoloured scalloped flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red. The corollas sway in the wind, carried by slender branching stems above beautiful decorative foliage, which will persist in mild winters. These wild-looking flowers will enliven borders with their warm hues.

Geum is an herbaceous perennial from the Rosaceae family. The 'Tutti Frutti' variety is a very recent horticultural hybrid, a spontaneous seedling of unknown parentage that appeared in a hybrid avens cultivation. This plant forms a wide and low clump composed of dark green, irregular and finely velvety basal leaves, which are toothed and lobed. This foliage will persist in mild climates during winter, but will be deciduous in normal winters. 'Tutti Frutti' flowers from May to August. Slender branching stems rise 20cm (8in) from the ground, above the foliage. They are medium green in colour and darken as the season progresses, remaining decorative even without flowers. The cup-shaped flowers measure between 2 and 4cm (1 and 2in) in diameter. Some are solid yellow, others orange, others red, and others a mix of warm tones. They are either semi-double with 2 rows of petals, almost single, or almost double. Each flower displays a large heart of prominent yellow stamens. This variety reaches about 20cm (8in) in height when in bloom, with foliage reaching 15cm (6in), spreading over 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16in). Like many long-flowering perennials, this avens is not very long-lived, so it is recommended to divide it every four years to keep it in the garden for a long time.

Hardy, unique, and very floriferous, 'Tutti Frutti' thrives in sunny or semi-shaded positions, in ordinary, slightly moist, but well-drained soil. To fully enjoy its magnificent flowering, this beautiful variety is best placed at the edge of borders, flower beds, mixed borders, or even in pots. Its floral stems will create stunning bouquets. It blends beautifully with other spring and summer flowering perennials such as hardy geraniums, speedwells, heucheras, lady's mantle, euphorbias, and grasses. You can create sublime scenes with vibrant colours by mixing several varieties of avens together.