Other Names:  Fern-leaf Hardy Geranium, Cape Cranesbill

Brand:  Plant Select

Description:

A great groundcover variety perfect for rock gardens and garden beds; bright lilac-purple flowers stand out against mounds of dark green, deeply cut, ferny leaves; foliage takes on hints of scarlet and purple in winter; deadhead to encourage more blooms

Ornamental Features

La Veta Lace® Cranesbill has masses of beautiful lilac purple star-shaped flowers with purple overtones and white eyes rising above the foliage from late spring to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its small deeply cut ferny palmate leaves are dark green in color with curious silver undersides. As an added bonus, the foliage turns gorgeous shades of scarlet and purple in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

La Veta Lace® Cranesbill is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

La Veta Lace® Cranesbill is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

La Veta Lace® Cranesbill will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity extending to 8 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. 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 pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

La Veta Lace® Cranesbill is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.