Geranium pratense Purple Ghost

The Perennial Geranium pratense 'Purple Ghost' is a brand new variety of meadow cranesbill. It impresses with the striking contrast between the very dark purple, chocolate-toned color of its deeply cut foliage, the dark red of its stems, and the barely touched white, finely veined with purplish gray, of its large flowers punctuated with black stamens. It blooms from May to July, forming an astonishing chiaroscuro carpet, original and refined. It is a variety with a strong character, but also a perennial for all gardens, resistant to mildew and tolerant of drought once well established.

The Geranium pratense 'Purple Ghost' belongs to the Geraniaceae family. It is a very recent variety obtained in England, derived from the meadow cranesbill, which is spread over a vast territory, from western Europe to western China. This deciduous and robust species is found in wet meadows, on the roadside, in mown meadows.

The 'Purple Ghost' variety has a semi-carpeting tufted habit. It will reach about 40 cm (16in) in height and 30 cm (12in) in diameter for the foliage, with rapid growth. It flowers from May to July-August, provided that faded flowers are regularly removed. Its flowers, grouped in cymes, bloom at the top of hairy, branched stems, with a red to purple hue, 40 cm (16in) high. Its flowers, with a diameter of 4 cm (2in), are milky white, marked with fine translucent and speckled veins, with pink stamens and almost black anthers giving character to the heart of the flower. They stand out well from the compound foliage of large polygonal leaves, intensely lobed and toothed, purple, sometimes chocolate, which retain their color throughout the season. They measure 20 cm (8in) in length and are located almost along the entire length of the sturdy stems.

Like many other species of perennial geraniums, Geranium pratense and its varieties perform very well in a garden close to nature and are superb plants, providing nectar and pollen for many insects such as butterflies, bees, bumblebees, etc... It is an ideal plant for a cottage garden, in a bed, along a path, on slopes, in a flowery meadow. The 'Purple Ghost' cultivar really stands out from the usual varieties; it should be given a special place in a border, along a path or even in a large pot on the terrace. For example, associate it with the 'Hagley Hybrid' clematis, with its large pink flowers, whose flowering it accompanies, or with large white foxgloves.