Geranium macrorrhizum 'De Bilt'

Geranium macrorrhizum 'De Bilt'

I have been reading about photoperiodism which is a term used to define a plant's physiological response to day or night length, and whether flowering is initiated by short nights and long days or the opposite. So this little Dutch bred Geranium, originating from the town of De Bilt in the province of Utrecht, flowers in June and July in the northern hemisphere, so I guess flowering has been triggered here by the lengthening days and probably our relatively mild cool weather season. It is not exactly sub zero at the moment.

The macrorrhizum group of Geranium cultivars are charming and neat, forming low mounds to about 30cm high. They have the added bonus of warmly aromatic scented foliage which is delightful to run your hands through. A growing position of half sun during summer and full sun during winter is ideal for them. They are tolerant of dry and prefer well drained soil enriched with organic matter but are just as happy when grown in a container of good quality potting mix.