Geranium sanguineum Frivolius Purple - Bloody cranesbill

Geranium ‘MVNG1905’ Frivolius™ Purple is a compact, hardy geranium groundcover, selected for its large purple-violet flowers and its flowering, which spreads from spring to late summer. This small bloody cranesbill forms a tight, neat cushion that enlivens borders, rockeries and slopes. It is easy-going, very hardy, and drought-tolerant. Its modest size allows it to be used anywhere you want a flowering carpet that requires little maintenance.

This cultivar belongs to the species Geranium sanguineum, from the Geraniaceae family. It has been described under several synonyms now grouped together: Geranium grandiflorum, Geranium lancastriense, Geranium prostratum, Geranium sanguineiforme. It is a perennial native to a large part of Europe, as far as the Caucasus and northern Turkey, where it is found on rocky slopes, dry lawns and well-exposed woodland edges.

‘MVNG1905’ is a horticultural selection obtained in the Netherlands by Marco van Noort as part of the Frivolius series, which brings together several compact, very floriferous bloody cranesbills with larger flowers and drought resistance. It was awarded a silver medal during the PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt novelty evaluation organised by the KVBC in May 2025.
The plant forms a low, slightly spreading clump, 20 to 25 cm tall and 40 to 50 cm wide after a few years. Its thin stems bear deciduous foliage, which is very divided: its small, dark green leaves are rounded, long-petiolate, deeply palmate with narrow lobes and slightly hairy. In autumn, this foliage takes on very decorative red to purple hues. Flowering spreads from May to September, with a peak in early summer. The solitary flowers at the end of thin stems form a single cup 3 to 4 cm in diameter, with five rounded petals of a deep magenta purple, veined with a darker shade, surrounding a lighter heart where the mauve stamens stand out. Rich in nectar, they attract bees and other pollinating insects.

In the garden, Geranium sanguineum Frivolius™ Purple is perfect for planting in dry and rocky areas, even calcareous ones. At the edge of a terrace, along a path, between the stones of a rockery or in a large container, it accompanies shrubs and perennials for dry soils. It pairs particularly well with other bloody cranesbills from the Frivolius series, Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei' and the variety 'Vision'. Tuck in a few clumps of steely blue blue fescue 'Elijah Blue' and cushions of Nepeta 'Kit Cat' in the background. Together they form a durable, very floriferous groundcover that requires little watering once established.