Geranium cinereum "Ballerina" flowers

Geranium cinereum "Ballerina" flowers

(Photo courtesy of Northscaping.com)

Other Names: Dwarf Cranesbill, Greyleaf Cranesbill

Ornamental Features:

Ballerina Cranesbill features beautiful shell pink flowers with indigo eyes and purple veins at the ends of the stems from late spring to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. It's deeply cut lobed palmate leaves remain grayish green in color throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Landscape Attributes:

Ballerina Cranesbill is a dense herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance perennial, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Ballerina Cranesbill is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Container Planting

Plant Characteristics:

Ballerina Cranesbill will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder zones. This plant can be propagated by division.

This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.