geranium 05
TRANSCRIPT
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RHS Plan t Trials and Aw ardsRHS Plan t Trials an d Aw ards
www.rhs.org.uk
Hardy Geran ium s Stage 1Jam es Arm itage
Botanist , RHS Garden W isley
Bulletin Num ber 10
Jun e 2005
Hardy Geran ium s Stage 1Jam es Arm itage
Botanist , RHS Garden W isley
Bulletin Num ber 10
Jun e 2005
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Entries
There were 136 entries in th e Trial, subm itted as plan ts by
n urseries in t h e UK , Holland and USA, by collection
h olders and by ind ividuals (listed on p .13).
The m ajority of entries in Stage 1 were cultivars, hybrids or
variants of th e following species:
Staging a Trial of Hardy Geraniums
The great n um ber of geranium s available to garden ers
mean t th at a comp rehensive assessmen t of th e genu s could
not be achieved in o ne trial with out m ost of the Wisley
Trials Field being given over to th eir cultivation. For th is
reason th e Trial of Hardy Geranium s was divided into t hree
staggered stages. The com position of each stage was
decided by Geranium experts Elizabeth Stran gman and
David Hibberd based on cultivation requirements and
taxon om ic relationsh ip. In Stage 1 geranium s best suited
to a bright spot were grown. Many of th e plants in th is
Stage were from th e Praten se Group, which in cludes
species such as G. him alayense, G. clarkei an d G. pratense
itself, joined by representatives of oth er species that enjoy
similar condition s. Stage 2 was mainly com prised of
G. oxonianum cultivars with selections ofG. psilostemon,
G. sanguineum and summ er dorman t species also assessed.
Stage 3 in cluded species such as G. m acrorrhizum ,G. phaeum an d G. sylvaticum which ben efit from a little
shade. To com plete th e set a separate trial of geranium s
suitable for th e rock garden was also con ducted.
RHS Trial of Hardy Geran ium s
RHS Plant Trials and Awards2
Objectives
To recomm end th e Award of Garden Merit to th ose
plant s considered the best for garden d ecoration
To com pare th e large nu m ber of new cultivars with
older established plants
To demon strate and recomm end different meth ods of
cultivation
To establish correct n om enclature
To describe, photograph and take herbarium specimens
of entries as a perman ent record of th e trial for futu rereference.
Records
Flowering period start an d en d of flowering
Height and spread
Staking required or n ot
Habit groundcover, spreading, mound-forming,
scrambling
Evergreen retention of foliage over wint er
Hardiness
Elizabe th St rang m an
Fr o n t co ve r : Geranium Si rak
R i g h t : Geranium B lu e C l o u d
Da v i d H i b b e r d
G. asphodeloides
G. clarkei
G. collinum
G. gymnocaulon
G. him alayense
G. ibericum
G. magnificum
G. oreganum
G. palmatu m
G. pratense
G. pyrenaicum
G. regelii
G. renardii
G. ruprechtii
G. saxatile
G. transbaicalicum
G. t raversii
G. yeoi
plus Sout h
African species
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Geranium Blue Clou d (H4) 2004
Geranium Brookside (H4) 2004
Geranium Mavis Sim pson (H4) 2004
Geranium Nim bu s (H4) 2004
Geranium Orion (H4) 2004
Geranium palmatum (H3-4) 1993 Reconfirmed
Geranium pratense (H4) 1993 Reconfirm ed
Mrs Kendall Clark
Geranium pratense (H4) 1993 Reconfirm ed
Plenu m Violaceum
Geranium riversleaianum (H4) 1993 Reconfirm ed
Russell Prichard
Geranium Sirak (H4) 2004
Award of Garden Merit subject toverification of cultivar name
Geranium magnificum Rosem oor
Award of Garden Merit rescindments:
It will be recom m end ed th at th e AGM be rescinded from
th e following at th e next review of th e Award in 2012
Geranium clarkei Kashm ir Wh ite AGM(H4)1996
Geranium himalayense AGM(H4)1993
Gravetye
Geranium Joh n son s Blue AGM(H4)199 3
Geranium renardii AGM(H4)1993
(H 4 ) = h ar d y th ro ug h ou t th e U K
( H 3 - 4 ) = m a y re q u i re so m e p r o t ec t io n o v e r w i n t e r i n so m e
p ar t s o f t h e Br i t i sh I s les
The Award of Garden Merit
To gain this award a plant must:
be excellent for ordin ary garden use
be available
be of good constitution
be reasonably easy to grow
be reasonably resistant to p ests and diseases
be essent ially stable in form an d colour
Judging
The trial was assessed for th e Award of Garden Merit by th e
Floral Trials Subcommittee using the following criteria:
habit
vigour (health)
floriferousness
length of flowering period
foliage
Cultivation of Stage 1Three plants of each ent ry were plant ed on 9 July 2002 on
a prepared site. The soil on t he Trials Field, th ough sandy
and free draining, is rich in nutrients, due to it being
extensively cultivated for various trials. The soil has a p Hof 7.5. Generally, hardy geranium s perform best on a soil
of med ium to low fertility soil, so n o fertiliser was added.
Many o f the en tries in Stage 1 required stakin g, this was
don e in April before strong growth h ad begun , using birch
or hazel twigs up to a height of 2m.
After flowering all plants, with t h e exception of the South
African species, were cut righ t down to th e ground . This
not only m ade the plant s tidier by removing the seed
h eads and d ead foliage, but gave th em a new lease of life
and encouraged a second flush of flowers. Over winter
m any en tries proved to be evergreen, formin g attractive
m oun ds of foliage. The t rial con cluded after th ree years, at
which tim e most plants would have benefited from being
divided.
Pests
The most frequent ly encoun tered pests foun d on any
hardy geraniums are:
Capsid bugs: Sap-feeding in sects active from m id May to
end of August. Their feeding on th e shoot tips cause leaves
to develop with man y tiny holes.
Geranium sawfly: Green ish-grey, caterpillar-like larvae with
black heads that live on the underside of the leaves where
they make rounded holes. Damage occurs during May Septem ber. The dam age is m ostly cosmetic.
Glasshouse red spider mite: A sap-feeding p est m ainly
found in late summ er on h ardy geraniums. The tiny m ites
cause a fine p ale speckling on th e upp er leaf surface.
Vine we evil: It is the larval stage that causes problems by
eating the roots. This leads to poor growth and sometimes
th e death of plants. Several plant s in th e trial were killed
by th is pest.
Leaf and bud eelworms: These are m icroscopic worm -like
creatures that live inside t he foliage, causing in fested areas
to dry up an d turn brown. This pest was found in the t rial
plant s but in m ost gardens will be overlooked.
An drew Halstead
PRINCIPAL ENTOMOLOGIST
Award of Garden Merit (AGM)
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Geraniums in the wild
Few genera are more suited as a wh ole to h orticultural use
than Geranium and the qualities of hardiness, adaptability
and ease of propagation th at have fitted th em so well to
the garden have also encouraged their spread in the wild.
More th an 420 species ofGeranium are currently
recognised and they are foun d on every continent on
Earth , except Ant arctica, usually in m oist, temp erate
regions. Such conditions prevail over much of northern
Eurasia and North America and across mountainous areas
further south and it is from these places that m any of our
garden favourites, such as G. phaeum , G. him alayense an d
G. maculatum , origin ate. These species tend t o be
perennial, forming bold plant s in m eadows or open
woodland. Wh ere conditions become warmer around th e
Mediterranean and Arabian peninsula there are a greater
nu mber of ann ual and sum mer dorm ant species. In severalareas of the world geraniums grow at such high altitudes
th at th ey have become true alpines; mu ch smaller plants
adapt ed to shallow soils and low tem peratures. As is often
the case species inhabiting islands are amongst the most
eccentric, the Madeiran endemic G. m aderense is a huge
mo nocarp while the Hawaiian G. arboreum forms a shrub.
Geraniums in the garden
The hardy geraniums are undou btedly one of the m ost
pop ular groups of garden plant s. Th ey are beautiful,
reliable and en dlessly various, and todays stunn ing
h ybrids are th e mod ern flag bearers of a genu s with a long
h istory in British gardens. There are no records to tell uswhen herb Robert (Geranium robertianum ) was first used for
its healing prop erties, or its ornam ent al relatives G.
praten se, G. san guineum an d G. sylvaticum for th eir beauty.
It is hard to imagine gardening w ithout hardy geranium s. In
their midst are plants t hat are totally indispensable. They are
resilient, versatile, and offer something for every garden
situation. Rich in colour and generous in display, t he best h ardy
geraniums are deserving of any mixed border. RHS AGM trialsare essential in order to pinpoint t he truly excellent plan ts t hat
every gardener should have. The RHS AGM is certainly one of
the m ost important aspects of the work of the RHS.
Fergus Garrett,
HEAD GARDENER AT GREAT DIXTER
Geranium or geranium?
Pelargonium is a genus of about 280 shrubby or h erbaceous
species mostly native to South Africa. They are most
familiar to gardeners as the brightly coloured h ybrids
grown for containers and sum m er bedding. The con fusionth at persists between th is genus and Geranium the hardy
geranium s or cranesbills is due in part to th e great
Swedish bo tan ist Carolus Linn aeus. In his mon um ental
workSpecies Plantarum (1753) Linn aeus included all th e
Pelargonium species un der Geranium and it was by the latter
nam e that th ey first became known to th e gardening
public. In 1789 the French botanist LHritier made clear
th e differences between th e two genera but th e dam age was
don e and, to th e frustration of gardeners and botan ists
alike, Pelargonium is still known by th e common nam e
geranium. Pelargonium is distinguished by h aving um bels of
irregular-shaped flowers, fewer fertile stamens and a nectary
tube. Two other genera are generally included in th e family
Geraniaceae, th e rock garden favouritesErodium and the
tender genusMonsonia which n ow encompasses the
succulent species formerly known as Sarcocaulon.
Th e genus Geranium
RHS Plant Trials and Awards4
Geranium maculatum ( a b o v e l e ft ) w i t h r a d i a ll y sy m m e t r ic fl o w e r s a n d Pelargonium L El g a n t e ( a b o ve r i g h t ) w i t h b i l at e r a l ly
sy m m e t r ic fl o w e r s d e m o n s t r at e o n e o f t h e k e y d i f fe r en c e s b e t w e e n t h e t w o g e n e r a
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As British n atives th eir cultivation m ust date back man y
hu ndreds of years. In th e late 16th century th e first h ardy
geranium s from con tinen tal Europe arrived on British
shores and over the n ext four centu ries species were
introd uced from Asia, the Americas, Sout h Africa and th eantipodes. From these progenitors man y h ybrids and
selections h ave been m ade, particularly as a consequ ence
of th e upsurge of int erest in cranesbills following th e first
RHS Trial of Hardy Geranium s in th e mid 1970s an d th e
pu blication of Peter YeosHardy Geranium s in 1985.
Selective breeding programmes and the natural
promiscuity of the species has resulted in the naming of a
great num ber of variants an d over 550 cultivar nam es are
listed in th e Register of Geraniu m Cultivar N am es (Victor,
2004). Many of these names are given to indistinct plants
and one of the functions of the Trial of Hardy Geraniums
was to help m ake people introdu cing cultivars aware of the
range already available before th ey nam e th eir seedling or
selection.
Structure of a cranesbill
Despite the great variation with in th e genus, hardy
geraniums are immediately recognisable and upon seeing
on e, even if we can n ot be specific, we are able to say
Thats a hardy geranium ! But wh at are th e features th at
give th em t h eir ch aracteristic appearan ce?
Habit: The m ajority of geranium s produce a rosette of basal
leaves from wh ich appears a dense, upright in florescence,
th ough oth ers produ ce few basal leaves and h ave long, lax
stems that scramble amon gst oth er plants.
Roots: Geraniums usually spread on short, stout rootstocks
but som e have tub ers or fast-spreading rh izomes.
Leaves: The basal leaves are generally hairy and separated
into divisions. The division s are lobed an d th e lobes are
usually tooth ed. The d egree of division differs significant ly;
in species of sun ny sites, such as G. sanguineum , th e leaves
are deeply cut, those of shadier habitats have much
shallower divisions. The leaves borne on t h e flower stem s
are mostly in pairs and becom e smaller as th ey approach
the apex.
Flowers: Though somewhat variable in size, the simple,radially symm etric flowers ofGeranium species are all
rath er sim ilar with 5 petals, usually in sh ades of blue or
pink, and 5 sepals which are tipped with a sharp point
called a m ucro. There are 10 anth ers which often release
th eir pollen before th e 5 stigm as become receptive,
encouraging cross pollination.
Fruit: The elongated fruit from which the genus gets its
common name of cranesbill is technically called the
rostrum and is formed from th e style upon wh ich t he
stigmas sit. At th e base of th e rostrum are the seeds held in
a structure called th e mericarp. Geranium h as been split
into th ree subgenera named Erodioidea,Robertium an d
Geranium , based on th e way in wh ich t he rostrumdisintegrates and th e seeds are released.
Hardy Geran ium s Stage 1 5
NikiSimpso
n
2005
Leaf st ruc ture:
Flower st ruc ture:
Un
d ern
ea
t h :
Ve rt ic al sect ion:
st ig ma
stamen
fl ower stalko r p e d i c e l
se p al
s ty le
ant h er
fi lament
nec tary
N
ikiSimpson
2005
t o o t h
l o b e
le af stalko r p e t i o l e
d iv i s ion
se p al
petal
mucro
meric arp
awn
co lumn
remnant s o fstyle
sep al
Frui t st ruc ture:
seed
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G. magnificum
Sterile hybrids between G. ibericum an d G. platypetalum
growing to 70cm or so in height, representing some of themost frequently grown, useful and attractive members of
the genus. Often confused with G. ibericum and differing in
its less angular leaves, failure to set seed an d m ore vigorous
growth. The 7 t o 9 division ed leaves m easure more or less
the same in every direction and the large, open flowers,
often with a n otch in the p etal, are purple to violet. This
cross has arisen independen tly a nu mber of times and
several cultivars have been nam ed in cluding Rosemoor,
Peter Yeo, Hylan der an d Ern st Pagels but th ese are
rather similar and m uch con fused in cultivation.
G. palmatum
A large, dramatic plan t n ative to Madeira and with a
reputation for being rather tender. Eventually supported by
a short stem th e leaves are like a giant version of th ose of
herb Robert and form a rosette from which emerge tall
plum es of cheering pin k flowers. After flowering th e plant
usually dies and shou ld be raised again from seed. Plants in
th e Trial, th ough subjected to some cold weath er, showed
n o susceptibility to low temp eratures.
G. pyrenaicum
A lon g-flowering species from south western Europe,
nat uralised in parts of th e British Isles and a resilient ,
hardy p lant in gardens. The leaves are split int o 7 or 9
divisions bu t h ave a very circular outlin e, growing to about
10cm across. The sprawling stem s bear small flowers, to
2cm across, the pretty petals, each deeply notched at the
tip, are usually pin kish purp le. This species will often self
seed p rolifically; th e cultivars seem to come true if crossing
can be p revented. G. pyrenaicum f. albiflorum has white
flowers and cultivars include Bill Wallis with deep blue-purple flowers and d ark stem s and Isparta which h as
larger, lighter flowers than no rmal.
G. pratense
The com m on cranesbill from Europ e and parts of Asia, a
variable perennial widely grown in gardens. Growing to 1mor more in height the profusion of usually blue, saucer-
shaped flowers sit ato p basal leaves divided into 7 or 9 with
lobes narrower than th ose ofG. him alayense and generally
less finely divided than G. clarkei. The variety G. pratense var.
stewartianum , is early flowering an d h as coarser leaves an d
flowers at th e pink end of the spectrum. Cultivars include
pure white Galactic, Mrs Kendall Clark with lavender-blue,
prominently veined flowers, blue-striped Striatum and
Wisley Blue with clear blue flowers profusely borne.
Unusually for the genus there are some double-flowered
cultivars such as Plenum Violaceum and SUMMER SKIES
(Gern ic).
G. magnificum G. pratense
G. pyrenaicum
I spar ta
G. palmatum
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Th e species in cluded in Stage 1
RHS Plant Trials and Awards8
G. renardii
From th e Caucasus this clump -form ing species is a plant
worth growing for its foliage alone. The basal leaves areround in outline with 5 to 7 divisions and of a curious
yellowish green, the surface much wrinkled and textured,
th e overall effect bein g m ost striking. The leaves are topp ed
by large, flat, pale blue or white flowers, which m ay be
sparsely borne compared to other m embers of the genus.
Amongst selections of the species are Tcschelda with
heavily veined petals and Whiteknghts with quite dark
flowers wh ile the hybrids in clude Zetterlun d, Philippe
Vap elle, Terre Franc h e an d Step h an ie.
South African species
Several South African species were grown in the Trial
including G. pulchrum, G. incanum , G. drakensbergense an dG. caffrum . These species tend t o h ave narrow leaf divisions
an d silvery leaves making th em effective foliage plants.
They will eventu ally become quite shrubby bu t do not
recover well from being cut back an d, th ough sensitive to
frost, will usually reappear from seed if lost over winter. G.
Ram bling Robin G roup are h ybrids between G. incanum
an d G. robustum with pale pink to bluish flowers and may
be good plan ts for gardeners to try.
G. t raversii
From t he wind swept Ch atham Islands, about 500 miles off
th e coast of New Zealand, th is species is a very attractive,
low-growing plant with long-stalked, silver-h airy leaves,
circular in out line with 7 division s. The wh ite flowers, to
2.5cm, are saucer-shaped an d born e over a lon g period.
Almost always known in cultivation from its pink-flowered
variety, G. t raversii var. elegans, th is species is intoleran t of
wint er wet and can be frustratingly difficult to cultivate.
However, several of its hybrids do m ake good garden
plants, amongst them G.
riversleaianum Russell Prich ard,Jean Armour and Aya which make eye-catching
groundcover or border plants, though several others are
best suited to the rock garden.
Other species
Also included in Stage 1 of th e Trial of Hardy Geranium s
were G. collinum , G. gymnocaulon, G. oreganum , G. saxatile,
G. regelii, G. t ransbaicalicum, G. ruprechtii an d G. yeoi.
G. renardii G. Ra m b l i n g
Ro b i n G r o u p
G.
riversleaianum
Russe l l Pr i chard
G. saxatile
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Findings
The comp rehen sive nat ure of the Trial of Hardy Geraniu m s
offered an unp recedented op portunity to assess the
distinctiveness of th e hu ge ran ge ofGeranium cultivars
available and how best these plants can be used in gardens.
A growing t rade
Dr David Hibberd h as made a detailed study of th e rapidly
burgeonin g num ber ofGeranium cultivars. By studying
listings for Geranium in the RHS Plan t Finderhe h as been
able to track the explosive increase in the number of
geranium s available, from 125 in 1987 t o 642 in 2005. Of
th ese plants aroun d 40% are selections from just five
species and one hybrid and it must be doubted if all these
n ames represen t a useful distinction for gardeners. Many of
the plants in trial neither offered the gardener novel
features or an im provemen t on nam ed plants already
available. One o f the key fun ctions of th e Trial was to helpgardeners decide, through the AGM, which of the glut of
geraniums now offered are most worth growing.
Gaining the most from geraniums
Hardy geran ium s are ideal for cultivation in t he op en
ground but are poorly suited to pot cultivation. They are
plants that are best grown in conjun ction with oth er
specimens. Good companions include silver-leaved shrubs
such asElaeagnu s and perennials, like Sedum or Eryngium ,
that will extend th e flowering season.
Hardy geranium s are som etimes criticised for havin g a
short flowering season. However, by cutting the plant back
to groun d level after flowering a second flu sh can o ften be
gained.
One often-overlooked con tribution of hardy geraniums to
th e garden is their poten tial use as wint er groun dcover. A
surprising n um ber of entries proved evergreen if basal
foliage was left un cut over win ter. Good plan ts to u se for
this pu rpose include G. riversleaianum Russell Prich ard ,
G. renardii, G. ibericum and some G. pratense cultivars such
as Mrs Kendall Clark.
Botanical and nomenclatural notes
The number of geraniums available and the similarity of
man y of the cultivars have led to frequent m isnam ing of
plant s. Th e raising of cultivars from seed has been a m ajor
source of con fusion , encou raging variability with in
cultivars and th e retailing of inferior plant s. The
interfertility of so m any o f the species, th ough very useful
to th e plant b reeder, can cause problems in accurately
attributing parentage to chance seedlings and several
plant s submitt ed to trial as cultivars of a particular species
were sho wn t o be h ybrids. Below are some po int s of
interest em erging from a botan ical and nom enclatural
study of the Trial.
The faint blotch es seen on th e leaves ofG. Mavis Sim pson
suggest it m ay be a triple hybrid involving G. versicolor
rather th an a cultivar ofG. riversleaianum so its
attribution to that epithet was rejected.
At least two clones were entered un der the n ame G.
himalayense Gravetye and a Nom enclatural Standard
specimen was made of a plant that closely match ed th e
description of the plant awarded an Award of Merit in the
first RHS Trial of Hardy Geranium s in t he 1970s.
Comm ittee mem bers comm ented th at a plant is frequently
grown in n orthern gardens un der the n ame Mrs Kendall
Clark differs from th e entries in trial with t his n am e.
Cultivars ofG. magnificum were extremely sim ilar and
several differed from th eir published d escription s. Their
nomenclature could not satisfactorily be resolved and a
small trial ofG. magnificum cultivars was initiated.
G. clarkei Kashmir Purple was grown in the first Trial of
Hardy Geranium s but th is name h as since become app lied
to a ran ge of purple-flowered variants. In order to
distinguish the purple-flowered plants from the original
nam ed clone and other colour variants of the species the
Geranium registrar David Victor has pu blished th e nam e G.
clarkei Purple-flowered Group . Ano th er clone collected by
Roy Lancaster in Kashm ir and sometim es sold as Kashm ir
Purple has been n amed Gulm arg.
The range ofG. incanum
G. robustum hybrids grown asRam bling Robin have been given th e nam e Ram bling
Robin Group in th e Register of Geraniu m Cultivar N am es
(2004).
Several n ew cultivar nam es were applied over th e course of
th e trial: Corn ish Can dy an d Laura were given t o n ew
dou ble-flowered selection s ofG. pratense; a plant sim ilar to
Sirak but lower grow ing w as n am ed Karis; a floriferous
clone ofG. magnificum was called Ern st Pagels an d t h e
name Scapa Flow was provided for a G. ibericum subsp.
jubatum an d G. renardii hybrid raised by Alan Bremner.
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irregular. Stem leaves in pairs, m uch cut,
becoming very sm all and bract-like
towards apex. Stems with patent gland-
tipped hairs, becoming sprawling so
fl owers borne around periphery of basal
foliage. Infl orescence becom ing dif fuse
but rem aining u pright. Sepals narrowly
ovate, glandular hairy, mucro to 2mm.
Flowers to 40m m diam eter, violet-blue
(88B) with fine reddish veins, white at
the centre; petals broad obovate, almost
truncate at apex.
Geranium M avis Simpson
AGM (H4) 2004
Sen t b y G l e b e C o t t a g e Pl a n t s
A groun d-hugging cultivar for use in
th e rock garden, as ground cover or at
the front of th e border, with promin ent
pale pink flowers that combine well
with silvery foliage.
Low-growing perennial to 20 55cm in
trial. Basal leaf blades to c.55 70mm
with short adpressed hairs, mid-green,
paler on the un derside, appearing silvery
with faint brown blotches at the notches
that are lost with age, somewhat angular
in outline with 5 or 7 divisions; divisions
tapering to each end from above the
m iddle, lobed to about one third; lobes
broad, rounded, aristate, sparsely
tooth ed. Stem leaves carried in pairs,
similar to basal leaves, becoming smaller
towards apex. Stems lax and sprawling
bearing silvery adpressed hairs especially
at n odes and towards apex. Inflorescencediff use, fl owers carried above foliage.
Sepals ovate, silvery hairy, mucro to
1.5m m. Flowers to 30m m diameter, pink
(74C) becom ing paler at th e centre with
darker veins (74A); petals broad, faintly
notched. Stigmas crimson.
Geranium Nimbus
AGM (H4) 2004
Se n t b y W a t e rp u m p P la n t s
A terrific, extremely floriferous border
plant bearing th e happy combin ation
of delicate cut foliage an d violet star-
like flowers. A class act.
Geranium Blue Cloud
AGM (H4) 2004
Sen t b y H e l l ye r s G a r d e n P l a n t s
Probably a seedling of Nimbus and
sharing th at cultivars narrow petals
and fine foliage but with a spreading
habit and flowers of a lighter hue.
Spreading perennial to 90 170cm in
trial. Basal leaf blades to c.95
120 mm , soon w ithering away, withsparse, whit e, adpressed hairs, m id green,
pale on the un derside, divided alm ost to
the base into 7 and appearing heavily
dissected in silhouette; divisions
rhomboid, overlapping, palm ato-
pinnately lobed; lobes broad lan ceolate,
tapered with a short, acute tip, teeth
coarse, irregular. Stem leaves in pairs,
much cut, becoming small and bract-like
towards the apex and lacking on
upperm ost nodes. Stem s yellowish, long
and spreading with short, patent,
glandu lar hairs. Infl orescence becoming
diffuse. Sepals narrowly ovate, glandularhairy, mucro to 3mm. Flowers to 40mm
diam eter, pinkish violet (85 A/B) with
fine, purple veins, paler at centre; petals
obovate, to 21 14m m, overlapping
only at base, most rounded at apex, some
faintly notched.
Geranium Brookside
AGM (H4) 2004
Se n t b y H o w a r d s N u r se r y
Floriferous an d desirable border plan twith attractive cut foliage and
appealin g violet-blue flo wers. A h ybrid
between G. clarkei an d G. pratense
com binin g grace and reliability.
Spreading perennial to 60 190cm in
trial. Basal leaf blades to c.65 130mm
borne on long petioles with sparse, white,
adpressed hairs becomin g thick at the top
of the petiole, yellowish, particularly on
the un derside, divided alm ost to the base
into 7 and appearing heavily dissected in
silhouette; divisions widest about t he
middle, very little overlapping, heavily
lobed to about h alf way; lobes broad
lanceolate, tapered to a sharp point, teeth
RHS Award of Garden Merit Descriptions
All descriptions are based on plant s grown in Stage 1 of th e RHS Trial of Hardy Geraniu m s and plant s
grown elsewhere m ay differ slightly according to cultivation or local condition s. Colour codes were
taken using the RHS Colour Chart. The fourth edition (2001) is available from RHSE Mail Order, Wisley,
Surrey GU23 6QB. On e further plan t grown as Geranium magnificum Rosemoor was judged worthy
of the AGM, this award was given subject to verification o f the correct nam e.
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Geranium palma tum
AG M ( H 3 / H 4 )
Se n t b y L i n w a r d H a r d y P l an t s
With is hu ge leaves and pin k plumesof flowers this species from th e sun-
kissed slopes of Madeira shares all that
island s exotic appeal.
Biennial or short-lived perenn ial to 11 0
210 cm in trial forming a massive rosette on
a short stem. Basal leaf blades to c.230
250mm, fleshy, glandular hairy and
aromatic borne on long, succulent petioles,
yellow-green, divided m ore or less to the
base into 5; divisions very little over-
lapping; middle division stalked, much
lobed, lateral divisions with short stalks or
lacking stalks, lobed almost to the base;
lobes to 4 times as long as broad with
toothed secondary lobes. Stem leaves in
pairs becoming rapidly sm aller and less
lobed towards the apex. Stems upright and
open, thickly covered with purple, st icky,
patent, gland-t ipped hairs. Inflorescence
held above foliage, dense. Sepals narrowly
ovate, sticky, glandular hairy, mucro to
2mm. Flowers to 40mm diameter, light
purple-pink (74C), purplish red at the base
(71B); petals long-obovate, rounded.
Geranium prat enseMrs Kendall
Clark
AGM (H4) 1993
Se n t b y M a r g e r y Fi sh G a r d e n a n d
W a t e r p u m p Pl an t s
An o ld cultivar but still one of th e
best for th e border with violet, white-
veined flowers. The epitome of the
roman tic cottage garden perenn ial.
Scrambling perennial to 80 80cm in
trial. Basal leaf blades to c.170 170mm borne on long petioles with very
short, bristly, adpressed hairs confined to
the veins on the underside, mid green,
somewhat paler underneath, divided
almost to the base into 7 or 9 and
appearing rather square in outline;
divisions tapered to either end from above
the m iddle, open and overlapping, lobed
to more than half way; lobes irregular,
narrowly triangular with n um erous
coarse, irregular teeth. Stem leaves in
pairs, sim ilar t o basal leaves becom ing
smaller towards the apex. Stems with
pat ent , gland-tipped hairs, straigh t but
requiring support. Infl orescence compact.
Sepals n arrowly oblong, glandular hairy,
Mound-form ing perennial to 10 0
180cm in trial. Basal leaf blades to
c.75 95m m, soon withering away,
with sparse, wh ite, adpressed hairs
becoming thicker at th e top of the petiole,mid-green, paler on the underside, divided
almost to the base into 7 and appearing
heavily dissected in silhouette; divisions
tapering both ways from about the
m iddle, very little overlapping, palm ato-
pinnately lobed; lobes broad lanceolate,
to 4 tim es as long as broad, tapering to a
sharp point, teeth few, irregular. Stem
leaves in pairs, m uch cut, becoming
sm all and bract-like towards apex. Stems
yellowish, m oun d-forming with short,
pat ent , glandular ha irs. In florescence
remaining fairly compact. Sepals
narrowly ovate, glandular hairy, mucro to
3mm. Flowers to 35mm diameter, violet
(87A) with fine, dark red veins, white at
the centre; petals obovate, to 23 13mm,
overlapping only at th e base, som e faintly
notched.
Geranium Orion
AGM (H4) 2004
Sent b y Co en Jansen
A stunning cultivar for a prominent
spot p rom isin g a long display of largeviolet-blue flowers in such p rofusion
th at th e foliage is alm ost entirely
obscured. A deligh tful and wo rth y
plant.
Mound-form ing perennial to 10 0
200cm in trial. Basal leaf blades to
c.100 180 mm borne on long petioles
with sparse, wh ite, adpressed hairs
becoming thick at the top of the petiole,
mid-green, paler on the underside, divided
almost to the base into 7 and appearing
heavily dissected in silhouette; divisions
widest about the middle, little
overlapping, heavily lobed to about half
way; lobes broad lanceolate, tapered to a
sharp point, teeth irregular. Stem leaves
in pairs, much cut, becoming small and
bract-like towards apex. Stems with
pat ent , gland-tipped h airs, som ewhat
sticky, forming a fl oriferous m ound.
Infl orescence remainin g fairly compact.
Sepals narrowly ovate, glandular hairy,
m ucro to 3m m . Flowers large, to 50m m
diameter, violet-blue (88A/B) with fine
dark red veins, white at the centre; petals
broad obovate to suborbicular, faintlynotched.
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the n otches, square to sharply an gular in
outline with 7 divisions; divisions
tapering to each end from just above the
middle, pointed with a short blunt tip,
lobed to about one third; lobes narrow,poin ted with few teeth . St em leaves in
pairs, sim ilar t o basal leaves, divisions
little overlapping, becoming smaller
towards apex. Stem s lax and sprawling,
yellowish, bearing silvery adpressed h airs
especially at nodes and towards apex.
Infl orescence diff use, flowers carried
above foliage. Sepals ovate, silvery hairy,
m ucro to 2m m . Flowers to 30mm in
diam eter, purple (78A) with reddish veins
(71A ); petals broad obovate, fain tly
notched.
Geranium Sirak
AGM (H4) 2004
Se n t b y C a m b r i d g e U n i v e r si t y B o t a n i c
G a r d en s an d A n d r e w N o r t o n
A substant ial plant for the bo rder
becoming broad and sprawling as th e
season progresses with bold, glossy
foliage and punchy, pinkish purple
flowers.
Spreading perennial to 40 140cm in
trial. Basal leaves c.105 115mm , with
long petioles, sparsely hairy, mid green,
paler on the un derside, divided to about
two thirds into 7 and in silhouette
appearing m uch cut around the edge;
divisions widest towards apex, little
overlapping, lobed; lobes oblong with a
short tip and irregular teeth. Stem leaves
in pairs, pointed becom ing ternate an d
very sm all towards apex. Stems becom ing
sprawling so that the fl owers are borne
around the periphery of the basal foliage.
Infl orescence diff use, procum bent. Sepals
narrowly ovate, hairy, mucro to 3mm.Flowers to 40 m m diam eter, pinkish
purple (78 A/B) with very dark vein s
(79A ), wh ite at the centre; petals broad,
obovate or obcordate.
mucro to 4mm . Flowers to 40 mm
diam eter, violet-blue (91A ), flushed
pinkish violet (87 B) tow ards th e centre
with a broad network of white veins;
anthers very dark; petals broad obovate tosuborbicular, rounded t o fain tly n otched.
Geranium prat ensePlenum
Violaceum
AGM (H4) 1993
Sen t b y H a r d y s C o t t a g e G a r d e n P la n t s
One of th e few double hardy
geranium s producing flowers like tight
violet pompons over a long period in
sum m er. Different an d attractive.
Scrambling perennial to 90 80cm in
trial. Basal leaf blades to c.170
190 m m borne on long petioles with
sparse, white, adpressed hairs confined to
the veins on the underside, mid green,
somewhat paler underneath divided
almost to th e base into 7 an d appearing
heavily dissected in silhouette; divisions
tapering to either end from about the
middle, somewhat overlapping, lobed to
more than half way; lobes triangular to
broad lanceolate, blunt tipped with coarse
teeth. Stem leaves in pairs, similar to
basal leaves becoming smaller towards
the apex. Stems yellowish w ith patent,
gland-tipped hairs, upright but requiring
support. Infl orescence dense. Sepals
obscured by petals, ovat e-oblong,
glandular hairy, mucro to 2mm. Flowers
to 25mm, fully double, forming a dense,
globular rosette, violet (87A), blushed
pinkish (80A/B) becoming greenish-yellow
at the centre; petals numerous, obovate,
small, to c.12 8mm, becoming smaller
and distorted towards centre.
Geranium riversleaianumRussell
Prichard
AGM (H4) 1993
Sen t b y B la cksm i t h s C o t t a g e N u r se r y
Superior groun dcover, rock garden or
border plant with startling pu rple-pink
flowers an d silver-hairy foliage, requiring
a well-drained spot t o en sure survival
overwinter.
Low-growing perennial to 40 130cm in
trial. Basal leaf blades to c.75 90mm
with very short adpressed hairs, mid-
green, paler on the underside, appearing
silvery, lacking faint brown blotches at
RHS Award of Garden Merit Descriptions
Andrew Norton
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W a t e r p u m p P la n t s, W a t e r p u m p F ar m , R y ef o r d , R o ss- o n - W y e ,
He re fo rd sh i re HR9 7PU
Individuals
M B ar o n ; M r s D H a r t D y k e ; L W P l a n t s C h r i st i n e M o r l e y ; A n d r e w
N o r t o n ; M s Ro b i n P ar e r o f U S A ; Al l an R o b i n s o n .
Acknowledgements
Photography, unless otherwise stated, by Catherine
Steinberg.
Illustrations b y Niki Simp son.
RHS Floral Trials Curatorial staff, headed by Jonathan
Webster (Trials Supervisor)
Particular th anks are d ue t o Barry Phillips (Herbarium
Techn ician) for collection an d arrangem ent of herbarium
specim ens an d C ath erine Stein berg (Botan ical Recorder).
Andrew Norton (Geranium Nation al Plant C ollection ho lder) and David Hibberd (auth or and genus specialist)
have both been very generous with th eir time and
expertise th roughout the trial.
Elizabeth Strangman without whose enth usiasm an d
knowledge the trial would not have taken place.
David Victor, th e Geranium registrar
Further reading
Bath , T. & Jon es, J. (1994 ) The Gardeners Guide to Growing
Hardy Geranium s. David & Charles, Newton Abbot
Bendtsen B. H. (2005) Gardening with Hardy Geranium s.
Timber Press, Portland, O regon.Hibberd, D. (2003)RHS W isley Han dbook s: Hardy
Geraniums. Cassell Illustrated, Great Britain
Parker, G. (ed.). (2001) Hardy Geraniu m s for th e Garden .
Hardy Plant Society, Pershore
Victor, D.X. (2nd edition, 2004)Register of Geraniu m
Cultivar Names. The Geranium Group, UK
Yeo, P.F. (3rd e dit ion , 200 2) Hardy Geraniu m s. B T Bat sford,
London
Societ ies and websit es
The Hardy Geranium Group . Secret ary: M rs T. Fraser,
16 Hallam Grange Croft, Sheffield S10 4BP
The Geraniaceae Group . Membership Secretary: Mr PeterStarking, 22 North fields, Girton , Cam bridge CB3 0QC
ww w.hardy geraniums.com website ofGeranium
Nation al Plant Collection holder, Andrew Norton.
Floral Trials Commit tee
Chairman: Tony Lord
Vice-chairmen: Roy Ch eek, Pam Schwerdt
Members:
Bill Boardm an Bob Brown
Marin a C h rist op h er Jo h n Co ke
David Creese Ivan Dickin gs
Fergus Garrett Joh n Gibson
Dian a Hart Dyke Ton y Hen der
Ian Howell Sibylle Kreutzberger
C hrist op h er Llo yd Aliso n Mu lvan ey
Joh n Paton Grah am Rice
Jean Sam brook Ch ris San ders
Keith San gster Terry Sm ale
Mike Sm allwood Brian Talm an
Ray Waite Victoria Wakefield
Stuart William s
Senders of plants to the trial
Nurseries and Gardens:
A l ine Fa i rw ea the r , H i l lt op N u rse ry, Beau l ieu , Ham psh i re SO 42 7 YR
B la c k sm i t h s C o t t a g e N u r s er y , La n g m e r e, D i ss, N o r f o l k I P2 1 4 Q A
B la c k t h o r n N u r s er y , Ki l m e s t o n , A l r e sf o r d , H a m p s h i r e SO 2 4 0 N L
Ca l l y Ga rden s, Ga teho use o f Flee t , Cast le Do ug las, Sco t land ,
D G 7 2 D J
C a m b r i d g e U n i v e rsi t y Bo t a n i c G a r d e n , C o r y Lo d g e , C a m b r i d g e ,
CB2 1JF
Ca t fo r t h G a rdens , Roo ts Lane , Ca t fo r th , Preston , Lancash i re
PR4 0 JB
C o o m b l a n d G a r d e n s. n o l o n g e r t r ad i n g
Cro f tw ay Nu rsery , Yap to n Road , Ba rnham , Bog no r Reg is , Wes t
Sussex, PO22 0BH
Glebe Co t tag e Plan ts , P ix ie Lane , Wark le igh , Um ber le igh , Devon
EX 3 7 9 D H
Hard y s Co t tage Ga rd en P lan ts , Free fo lk Pr io rs , W h i t ch u rch ,
H a m p s h ir e RG 2 8 7 N J
He l l ye r s Ga rden P lan ts , no long e r t rad ing
Hi l l s ide Co t tage P lan ts , no longe r t rad ing
Ho o Ho use Nu rsery , G louces te r Road , Tewkesbu r y , G lou ceste rsh i re
G L 2 0 7 D A
Coen Jansen , Vaste P lan ten , Ankum m er Es 15 , 772 2 RD D a l f sen
T h e N e t h e r l a n d sL inwa rd Ha rdy P lan ts , 12 Su t ton C lose , Skegby , Su t ton - in -Ashfie ld ,
N o t t s N G 1 7 3 D P
M a r g e r y Fi sh G a r d e n , Ea st L a m b r o o k M a n o r , So u t h Pe t h e r t o n ,
So m e r se t T A 1 3 5 H H
M e a d o w C o t t a g e Pl a n t s, P it t H i l l, I v y b r i d g e , D e v o n P L2 1 0 JJ
N o t c u t t s N u r se r i es, W o o d b r i d g e , S u f fo l k , I P1 2 4 A F
P en n i n e P e r en n i a l s, 1 5 M o u n t V i ew , U p p e r M i l l, Sa d d l e w o r t h
O L 3 6 D B
Procu l t u re P lan ts , Know le H i l l , Badsey, Evesham , Wo rcs WR11 7 EN
RH S G a r d e n W i sl e y, W o k i n g , Su r r e y G U 2 3 6 Q B
Sp i n n e r s G a r d e n , S ch o o l L an e , B o l d r e , Ly m i n g t o n , H a m p s h i r e
SO 4 1 5 Q E
Stewar t s Nu rsery , God s B lessing Lane , Broom h i l l , Ho l t ,
W i m b o r n e , D o r se t BH 2 1 7 D F
The O ld W i thy Ga rden Nu rse ry , Cu ry Cross Lanes , He ls ton ,
C o r n w a ll T R1 2 7 A Y
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Habit 1 = G r o u n d c o v er
2 = Sp r e a d i n g
3 = M o u n d - fo r m i n g
4 = U p r i g h t ( i n c lu d i n g st a k ed p l a n t s)
O n l y c u l t i v ar s h a v e b e en c o l o u r c o d e d . C o l o u r c o d e s r ef e r t o t h e RH S C o l o u r C h a r t .
Name Colour Habit Dimensions Notes
G. pratenseWis ley B lue (1 ) Pale v io le t (8 8D ) 3 1 40 x 1 9 0cm Ver y at t rac t iv e b ut su f fered fro m m i ld ew in t r ial.
G. O r io n Vio le t -b lu e (8 8A / B) 3 1 00 x 2 00 cm Ex trem e ly fl or ife ro us w i t h la rg e fl ow ers m a rked
w i t h d a r k v e i n s.
G. N im b u s Vio le t (8 7 A) 3 1 0 0 x 1 8 0 c m D ar k-ve in ed fl o w ers p ro fu sely b o rn e.
G. prat ense Plen um Vio le t -b lu e ( 9 3B/ C) 4 1 00 x 1 00 cm At tr ac t iv e d ou b le fl ow er s, p et als p in kish a t b ase,
C a e r u l eu m (2) b u t s p e n t fl o w e r s r e m a i n o n p l an t .
G. Blu e C lo ud Pin kish v io le t ( 85 A/ B) 2 9 0 x 1 70 cm Flo rife ro us w i th fi n e p u rp le ve in s o n fl ow e rs.
G. Joh nson s B lue (3) Vio le t -b lu e (8 9 C ) 4 9 0 x 1 2 0 cm Flo w ers fl u sh ed p in k ish v io le t .
G. prat ense Plen um Vio le t (8 7A) fl ush ed 4 9 0 x 8 0cm Beau t ifu l d o ub le fl ow e rs b u t sp en t fl o w ers
Vio laceu m p in k ish (8 0 A / B) r em ain o n p lan t .
G. magnificum Pu rp le 3 8 0 x 1 20 cm Flo w ers ro un d p er ip her y o f fo liag e.
G. pratenseM r s Ken dall C lark Vio let -b lu e (9 1A) 4 8 0 x 8 0cm Flo w ers fl ush ed p in kish at cen tre w it h w h it e vein s.
G. prat enseC luden Sapph i re (4) Pu rp le-b lu e (9 4 B) 4 8 0 x 8 0 cm Flo w ers fl u sh ed p in k ish vio le t a t b ase.
G. Pr im a D o n n a (5 ) Vio le t (9 2 A) 2 7 0 x 1 5 0 cm Larg e fl o w er s b eco m in g p in ker w i t h ag e.
G. S tephan ie (6 ) Vio le t (8 5 A / B) 2 7 0 x 1 1 0 cm A t t rac t iv e , g lo ssy, y e llo w -g reen fo l iag e.
G. Br o o ksid e Vio le t -b lu e (8 8B) 2 -3 6 0 x 1 90 cm C en tre o f fl ow ers p ale, fl ow ers b orn e o n
p e r i p h e r y o f f o l i ag e .
G. Te r re F ranch e (7) Vio le t -b lu e ( 88 C ) 2 -3 6 0 x 1 0 0c m A tt rac tiv e y ello w - gr een fo liag e, p et als v ein edfl u sh ed p in k ( 8 2 B) d ark p u rp le .
G. pyrenaicum Isp ar t a Pu rp le-v io le t (8 2 B) 4 5 0 x 1 5 0 cm Pret t y t h o u g h fl o w ers are sm a ll . Plan t h as
w it h p a ler ey e f r ag ran ce o f m i lk ch o co la t e .
G. prat enseBL A C K B E A U T Y Vio le t (8 8 C ) 3 5 0 x 5 0 cm C o m pac t g ro w t h . Fo l iag e d ark g reen , alm ost
( N o d b eau t y ) b lack at m arg in s.
G. ibericum subsp . jub at um (8 ) Vio le t -b lu e 2 4 5 x 1 0 0 cm St ro n g ly n o t ch ed p et als w it h red d ish p u rp le ,
f ea the red ve ins .
G. N u n w o o d Pu rp le Vio le t (8 8 C ) 4 4 0 x 1 4 0 cm Sp raw lin g g ro w t h req u ir in g su p p o r t . Fo l iag e
ye l low ish .
G. renardii W h it ekn ig ht s Vio le t (8 5 B) 3 4 0 x 6 5 cm Larg e-fl ow ered w it h at t rac t iv e w r in k ly fo liag e.
fl u sh e d p u r p l e
G. pyrenaicum Bil l W al l is D eep vio let (8 2 A) 2 -3 4 0 x 5 0 cm Less v ig o ro u s t h an ot h er cu lt iv ars o f t h e sp ec ies.
G. Ram b lin g Ro b in G ro u p Pin kish p u rp le 4 3 0 x 1 2 0 cm At t rac t ive silvery fo liag e. G ro w th lo o se an d o p en .
Stage 1 selection guide
Blue-flowered plants in order of height
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
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Pink-flowered plants in order of height
Name Colour Habit Dimensions Notes
G. prat ensevar. pratense Pin kish p u rp le 4 1 15 x 1 50 cm St ro ng g ro w in g an d fl o r ife ro us.
E l izabeth Yeo (1) ( 7 4 C )
G. palmatum Pu rp le-p in k 3 1 1 0 x 2 1 0 c m Ro set t e-fo rm in g w it h la rg e leav es an d u p r ig h t
inflo rescence .
G. asphodeloidessu b sp . Pa le p in k (6 9 C ) 2 -3 5 0 x 1 4 0 cm In fl orescen ce b eco m in g ver y sp read in g w it h
asphodeloidesPr ince Regent (2) m a t u r i t y.
G. Su e C r g (3) Pin kish pu rp le (7 4B) 3 4 5 x 10 0cm O p en hab it . Flo w ers h eav i ly ve in ed pu rp le.
G. riversleaianum Pu rp lish p in k ( 70 A) 1 4 0 x 1 3 0c m A tt rac tiv e, si lv er y fo liag e. Req u ir es g o od
Ru sse l l Pr ic h ar d d rain ag e.
G. Sirak Pin k ish p u rp le (7 8 A) 2 3 5 x 7 0 cm Flo w ers b o rn e aro u n d th e p er ip h ery o f t h e fo liag e.
G. O r k n e y P in k (4) Rich p u rp le p in k 3 3 5 x 6 5cm C om p ac t p lan t. Fo liag e d ark y e llo w -g reen .
(c losest t o 78A)
G. Pin k D elig h t Pin k (6 8 B) , p aler 1 3 0 x 1 1 0 cm Silvery fo liag e co m b in es w ell w it h fl o w er co lo u r.
a t c e n t r e
G. M av is Sim p so n Pin k (7 4C ), p aler 1 2 0 x 5 5cm Sim i lar t o Pin k D el ig h t b u t w i th b r ig h ter
at c en t re fl o w ers.
G. prat ensevar. pratense W h it e, o cc asio n al 4 1 1 0 x 1 0 0c m Vig o ro u s an d a t t r ac tiv e b u t su ffer ed f r om
f. albiflorumGa lac t i c (1) v io le t st r ip es m ild ew in t r ial .
G. prat ense St r i a t u m (2 ) W h it e , st reaked 3 9 5 x 8 0 cm G o o d u p r ig h t h ab it .
w i t h v i o l et
G. prat ense Lau ra (3) W h it e 3 9 0 x 1 3 0 cm A fl o r ife ro u s, d o u b le-fl o w ered p lan t b ec o m in g
t w i g g y w i t h a g e .
G. prat ense A lb u m W h it e . 4 9 0 x 8 0 cm St am en s in ky b lu e-b lack .
G. Kash m ir G reen W hit e , g reen 2 -3 5 5 x 1 3 0 cm Flo w ers b o rn e aro u n d p er ip h er y o f fo l iag e.
t o w a r d s c e n t r e
G. renardii W h it e w i t h 3 4 5 x 6 5cm Fo liag e at t rac t iv e ly w r in kled b ut n ot as
p u rp le ve in s. fl o r i fero u s as so m e.
G. him alayense D er r ick C oo k W h it e w i t h 2 -3 4 0 x 1 30 cm Flo w ers b o rn e o n t he p er ip h er y o f t he fo liag e.
p u r p l e v ei n s
G. clarkeiKash m ir W h it e W h it e w it h p in kish 3 4 0 x 9 0 cm At t ract ive cu t fo liag e. Flo w ers ap pear in g g rey ish .
p u r p l e v ei n s
G. asphodeloidesS ta r l i gh t (4) W h it e, t in g ed p in k 2 3 0 x 1 50 cm U nu su al sm a ll, st ar - l ike fl ow e rs.
o n v e i n s
W hite-flowered plant s in order of height
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
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Trials O ffice
RHS Garden
Wisley
Woking
Surrey GU23 6QB
e-m ail: tr ials@rh s.org.u k
www.rhs.org.uk/trials
Reg charity no . 222879
All text an d im ages Cop yright RHS 2005
Botan ical illustration Co pyright Nikki Simp son
ISSN: 1477-9153 (print)
ISSN: 1447-9161 (online)
RHS Bulletins
Canna: September 2003
Daisies (yellow, perennial): September 2004
Delphinium : June 2004
Lavender (hard y): July 200 3
Miscanthus: October 2004
Potentilla (sh rubb y): July 200 2
Potatoes (salad): November 2004
Saxifrages (silver): May 2005
Spiraea ja ponica (with coloured leaves):
November 2003
These bulletin s can be viewed at a larger
size on th e RHS Website:
w w w.rhs.org.u k/ plant s/ trials_bulletins.asp
The Royal Horticultural Society
The RHS is the UKs leading gardening charity dedicated to
advancing horticulture and prom oting good gardening. Its
charitable work includes providing expert advice and
information, advancing h orticulture, training th e n ext
generation o f gardeners, helping school ch ildren learn
about p lants, and con ducting research in to plant s, pests
and environ m ent al issues affecting gardeners. Th e RHS
AGM plant trial scheme is an important part of this work.
The RHS receives no governm ent grants an d for every
pound received from members subscriptions we need to
raise more than twice as much again to fund ou r charitable
work. We also rely on donations and sponsorship to
supplement in come from our garden operations, flower
shows, shops an d plant centres.
RHS Plant Trials
With so m any different types of gardener and so man y
different cultivars available to th em in each group of
plants, it is imp ortant th at a system of recomm endation is
in place to h elp with selection at poin t of sale. These
recomm endations m ust be clear and reliable to en sure that
of the th ousan ds of plants available in t h e UK, a
proportion are known to be excellent garden plants. The
RHS provides this information th rough its exten sive
programm e of plant t rials h eld at RHS gardens in th e UK.
The RHS Award of Garden Merit signifies th e selection
of the best plan t for general garden use.
RHS plant trials serve the p rofessional gardener wh o wan ts
to know the range of plants available, including the latest
breeding and selection programmes, with their distinctive
characteristics and p rovenan ce. Th ey also serve the
amateur wh o wants to kn ow which plant s will grow and
perform well in a p articular garden situation .
The RHS has an un rivalled resource of knowledge an d
expertise and is th erefore best placed to con duct p lant
trials for th e UK gardenin g market.
RHS Herbarium
The RHS Herbarium keeps a record of trial cultivars as dried
specimens with detailed descriptions and phot ograph ic
images. This forms an im portan t reference for the
h orticultural indu stry. An y new cultivars are highlighted
and a Stan dard Specim en is preserved an d described.
The RHS Herbarium, stored at RHS Garden Wisley, is the
largest active horticultural herbarium in th e world. At
present the collection contains about 80,000 herbarium
specimens an d over 30,000 images of plants. Material is
actively collected from a wide spectrum of sources
includin g RHS plant trials.