Geranium cinereum Jolly Jewel Salmon

The perennial Geranium cinereum 'Jolly Jewel™ Salmon' spreads its soft, dark green foliage, matte and slightly ashy, under a profusion of vibrant salmon pink flowers finely veined with red, and enhanced by a faded red heart. Flowering all summer, this perennial prefers morning sun, thrives between the stones of a rockery, on slopes and in poor, well-drained soils. This recent variety is not a tall plant, but it is certainly high in colour, hardy in the garden and perfectly suited for container cultivation.

Geranium cinereum is a member of the Geraniaceae family, native to the grassy rockeries of mountains from southern Europe to the Balkans. The variety 'Jolly Jewel Salmon', from which it originates, is an herbaceous perennial plant with a woody stump forming a cushion 15-20 cm (6-8in) in height and at least 20 cm (8in) in diameter. Its growth is quite rapid, with the plant reaching full development in two or three years. The foliage, semi-evergreen, is arranged in a rosette. It consists of leaves 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3in) in diameter, deeply lobed and divided, pubescent, dark green with grey highlights, and soft to the touch. The flowering is renewed from June to September if the soil does not dry out too much, in the form of 2 to 3 cm (1in) diameter, open cups of a very bright salmon colour with a darker heart. The flowers are grouped in clusters of 2 or 3, carried above the foliage by 20 cm (8in) stems. This geranium spreads slowly, without ever being invasive.  

The perennial Geranium cinereum 'Jolly Jewel Salmon' will find its place in a rockery, at the front of perennial borders, in sunny beds, and in partial shade in the afternoon. It will be very effective in a flowerpot or well-drained planter. It pairs well with plants with similar needs such as Geranium renardii, Geranium dalmaticum, Iberis, Limonium, Aster dumosus or whorled Coreopsis. It is an ideal perennial for mountain gardens and highly mineral landscapes.