Mourning Widow - Geranium phaeum

The Perennial Geranium phaeum, also known as Brown Geranium, Dark Geranium, or Livid Geranium, is a sturdy herbaceous perennial and an excellent plant for shaded areas in the garden. It blooms in spring, offering its small violet-brown flowers for a month, carried in loose clusters well above the foliage. They are downward-facing, and their petals are curiously curved. It forms a small semi-evergreen bush, resilient against the wind. Its tender green and fluffy lobed foliage is delightful; here is a very reliable plant, with a discreet character but strong temperament. A treasure for shade, even occasionally dry.

The Perennial Geranium phaeum belongs to the Geraniaceae family. It is native to a large area stretching from the Pyrenees to the Balkans. It forms a clump of semi-evergreen foliage, 75 cm (30in) tall when in flower, 30 cm (12in) for the foliage, and 45 cm (0 and 18in) wide. It has a dense and upright habit. Flowering takes place in May-June. The flower itself is relatively discreet, measuring only 2 cm (1in) in diameter, but it is richly colored in purple-brown-violet, sometimes straying towards pale pink or almost black dark brown, with a lighter ring at the center, the crown is gracefully curved stamens around the pistil. The flowers are very numerous, arranged in clusters along thin flower stalks that stand out distinctly from the foliage. The leaves are lobed and deeply cut, tender green. This geranium readily self-seeds in the garden.

The Geranium phaeum does not exhibit a flashy and spectacular flowering as its flowers are small and often dark. However, the clumps do not go unnoticed in May. This plant is ideal for the second plan in shaded flower beds. It is interesting for its foliage that fills shaded corners nicely. In the undergrowth, it is a good companion for acid-green euphorbias and pastel-toned lungworts. The slightly lower and lighter-flowered Geranium nodosum will serve the same functions in the shade. Plant it along a North or East-facing path, among ferns and bergenia, in front of hydrangeas, rhododendrons, camellias. It will blend very well with all shade and semi-shade perennials such as fuchsias, hostas, periwinkles, hellebores, epimediums.