Geranium Rozanne
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Geranium Rozanne
In 2008, Geranium Rozanne was selected as Perennial Plant of the Year. The award is given by the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) and goes to the plant that most meets its criteria for excellence. Among the considerations are that the plant can meet a variety of weather conditions, is easily propagated, lasts through multiple seasons, is disease and pest-resistant, and is very low maintenance.
The Geranium Rozanne is a “clump former” but it still spreads out enough to cover some ground. It grows to be around twenty inches high and two feet wide. Gardeners love the bright blue-purple flowers and the plant doesn’t need much care to bloom over and over again from spring until fall. Flowers are large, around 2-½ inches across. Not only is the flower color showy but the foliage turns red just in time to color the yard for fall. The plant grows well in USDA zones 5 - 8. It is a great looking plant when set on the end of a border or in rock gardens.
You cannot propagate the Geranium Rozanne by seed, but the plant is also patented, so no individual gardener can propagate and sell plants without paying a fee to the original breeder. This hybrid was the result of the breeding of the Geranium wallichianum or “Buxton’s Variety” with Geranium Himalayense, two plants which were growing side by side in an English garden. The plant was originally grown by Donald and Rozanne Waterer in their garden in Somerset, England. Blooms of Bressingham horticulturalists first publically displayed the Geranium Rozanne at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2000.
You can start this geranium in a one-gallon container in well-drained perlite starter mix. Timed-released fertilizers are often used with this plant for sustained growth with minimal care. These geraniums prefer soil pH to be in the neighborhood of 6.0. They can be moved outside after the last spring frost. The Geranium Rozanne takes approximately six weeks after being planted to reach blooming size. After the first bloom, the plant will continue to have repeated blooms until the first frost in the fall. The fact that the plant produces so many flowers is one of its most positive attributes.
Geraniums rarely are troubled with diseases or pests and the Geranium Rozanne is no exception. You might see insects on the plant--aphids, thrips, caterpillars, etc.--but they rarely cause problems. If you do have insect damage, contact your county extension agent for treatment options in your climate. The only diseases that this geranium is susceptible to are root rots and leaf spots. Both of these can occur if soil is poorly drained and there is excessive rainfall or too much watering.