Scientific Name:
Geranium phaeum
Pronunciation:
jur-AY-nee-um FEE-um
Common Name:
mourning widow
Family Name:
Geraniaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves basal, lobed, 10-15(-20cm) wide when mature; flowers deep maroon-purple flowers, about 2cm wide.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Mounded, Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Central / west Asia, Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Container planting, Filler, Ground cover, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Spring interest, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include G. 'Samobor'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Lobed
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Palmate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Peltate
Margins:
Dentate, Pinnately lobed
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Purple
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
Not showy, Initially capsule-like, but splits into 5 mericarps which each open like a follicle to release a single seed like a catapult
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Fibrous-like roots, Rhizomes
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Bacterial leaf spot, Leaf miner insect, Mildew, Mold, Slugs or snails (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
