Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Group/Class:  Great Balls of Fire Series

Brand:  Dummen Orange

Description:

A beautiful trailing series ideal for hanging baskets, patio containers and window boxes; brightly colored and lightly scented semi-double blooms cascade from lush green foliage; early and consistent blooming through heat and humidity

Ornamental Features

Great Balls of Fire Velvet Red Ivy Leaf Geranium features bold clusters of lightly-scented dark red flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its serrated pointy palmate leaves remain green in colour throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Great Balls of Fire Velvet Red Ivy Leaf Geranium is an herbaceous annual with a trailing habit of growth, eventually spilling over the edges of hanging baskets and containers. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Great Balls of Fire Velvet Red Ivy Leaf Geranium is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Great Balls of Fire Velvet Red Ivy Leaf Geranium will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Great Balls of Fire Velvet Red Ivy Leaf Geranium is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its trailing habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.