Geranium x sanguineum Anne's Family® Carol Anne - Bloody Crane's-bill

The Anne's Family 'Carol Anne' Perennial Geranium is a particularly floriferous variety, with a well-covering vegetation, easy to cultivate. This plant tirelessly produces, for several months, beautiful flowers of a bluish violet colour veined with dark violet. It forms a beautiful carpet of leaves that spreads more or less as ground cover in sunny borders or even in semi-shaded areas of the garden. Versatile and undemanding, it also thrives in pots or hanging baskets, where it makes beautiful decorations for the terrace or balcony.

The Geranium Carol Anne belongs to the Geraniaceae family. This variety is part of a series of hybrids called Anne's Family, selected for their long-lasting flowering, comparable to that of 'Rozanne', as well as for their low requirements. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a stump, whose vegetation remains more or less evergreen in winter, depending on the climate. It is probably derived from the Geranium sanguineum, among others. 'Carol Anne' has a semi-creeping habit, spreading to form semi-bushy mats 30-40 cm tall and at least 50 cm wide. It produces bluish violet flowers, approximately 4 cm in diameter, from May to October, without interruption. Its stems bear beautifully cut green leaves, which persist more or less in winter depending on the climate.

Why deprive yourself of such a ground cover with so many qualities? This Carol Anne perennial geranium grows enthusiastically in the sun, but also tolerates light shade. Hardy, it withstands cold and even damp weather down to -20 °C. This plant will establish itself permanently on a not too dry embankment or border a bed, a pathway, in the company of trouble-free perennials such as alchemilla mollis, Nepeta 'Six Hill Giant', heucheras, and of course the 'Rozanne' geranium. It is very useful for filling the base of old shrub roses, to which it will bring back summer interest. Its beautiful violet flowers are magnificent next to the purple foliage of the Physocarpus 'Midnight'.