Geranium cinereum Jolly Jewel Violet

The perennial Geranium cinereum 'Jolly Jewel™ Violet' is one of the latest creations from the lovely Jolly Jewel series, which brings together a beautiful collection of flowering plants with vibrant colours. Its cup-shaped flowers, in a vibrant pink-purple shade highlighted by a large heart of incandescent purple, bloom all summer long on a cushion of finely cut leaves in a slightly greyish green, even in rocky and poor soil. Plant this small perennial among the rocks in your rock garden, on slopes, and in poor, well-drained soil. It also thrives in a beautiful pot on the terrace!

The perennial Geranium cinereum is a member of the Geraniaceae family. It is native to grassy slopes in mountains from Southern Europe to the Balkans. The 'Jolly Jewel Violet' variety is a very recent introduction. It is part of a series of geraniums developed from this species, bred in the Netherlands by Marco van Noort. These cultivars stand out for their long-lasting, vibrant, unusual, and varied flowering.

'Jolly Jewel Violet' is an herbaceous perennial plant with a woody base that forms a cushion 15 cm (6in) tall and at least 20 cm (8in) in diameter. Its growth is quite rapid, reaching full development in two or three years. The semi-evergreen foliage forms a rosette. It consists of deeply lobed and divided leaves, 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3in) in diameter, in a dark green colour with greyish hints, and feels quite soft to the touch. Flowering occurs from June to September if the soil does not dry out too much, and consists of 3 cm (1in) diameter flowers in open cups. They display a beautiful combination of pink and purple-red. The flowers are clustered in groups of 2 or 3, carried above the foliage by 20 cm (8in) stems. This geranium slowly spreads, without ever becoming invasive.  

Like all its siblings from the Jolly Jewel series, the perennial Geranium cinereum 'Jolly Jewel Violet' will find its place in rock gardens, at the front of perennial borders, in sunny borders, and in partial shade in the afternoon. It will also look stunning in a well-drained pot or container. It pairs well with plants that have similar needs, such as the perennial geraniums renardii or dalmaticum, Iberis, Limonium, Asters dumosus, Nepeta mussinii, and whorled Coreopsis. It is an ideal perennial for mountain gardens and highly mineral landscapes.