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Re: [IGS] Double Flowers on Hardy Geranium

Dear Sophie:

As far as I know there aren't very many hardy geraniums with double
flowers. Geranium pratense has the most (3).  Actually, I believe Blooms
of Bressingham in the U.K. has another named double lavender form of G.
pratense, but I haven't seen it. G. x oxonianum 'Sue Cox' is the only
one I know of with any additional color on the leaf.  All the double
flowered forms seem to be sterile, and so they have to be divided by
crowns, or by root division.  They include:

Geranium pratense 'Plenum Violaceum' beautifully shaped, violet-colored
flowers

Geranium pratense 'Plenum Caeruleum' light lavender-blue flowers, with a
pink flush

Geranium pratense 'Plenum Album' - white flowers.  Some inferior plants
have pink streaks in the petals.

Geranium himalayense 'Plenum' (G. himalayense 'Birch Double') - light
lavender flowers

Geranium x oxonianum 'Southcombe Double' - salmon-pink flowers, not very
floriferous, like powder puffs

Geranium x oxonianum 'Sue Cox' - similar, but the leaves have a maroon
stain on the upper surface

Geranium sanguineum (semi double) - a misnomer, really.   There is an
extra petal sometimes, which is slightly waved on the outer edge, thus
giving the appearance of extra petals

Geranium psilostemon (semi double) - an extra petal, making six. Magenta
flowers

If anyone knows of others,  let us know.  The G. pratense doubles are
hard to find in nurseries.  We have a "Life List" here.  Collectors tend
to wait for them to emerge from dormancy, and buy them all up
immediately.  From what we have heard so far, the G. pratense doubles
(the plants, that is)  seem to be larger and lusher in cooler summers.
But maybe we haven't heard from people who are growing them in hot
summers.

Robin
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