Which geranium blooms the longest?

Geraniums are low-maintenance and hardy plants, with beautifully shaped leaves and abundant blooms. The Dutch name for them is “ooievaarsbek.” There are an incredible number of different varieties of geraniums for the garden. With the right combination of varieties, geraniums can bloom from spring until the first frost.

Tips for an Extra-Long Blooming Period

In this blog post, we provide an overview of long-blooming geraniums—varieties that bloom for at least 3–4 months (or even longer). Keep the following tips in mind to enjoy the blooms for even longer:

Location and soil:

Choose the right location. In most cases, this is partial shade (crane’s-bill is native to forest edges). Too much sun can cause the flowers of many Geranium varieties to fade, or prevent the specific color you chose for that geranium from showing up properly. Well-drained soil is best for most varieties, although many geraniums are quite adaptable.

Watering:

Don't let your geraniums dry out. This can hinder flowering and cause the leaves to turn yellow and brown. Water young plants regularly, as well as those in pots and containers. Be sure to water them during dry spells (even older plants).

Nutrition:

Many types of geraniums thrive in fairly nutrient-rich soil. Apply some fertilizer during the growing season so your plants can bloom to their full potential. For potted geraniums, we recommend applying liquid fertilizer once a week.

Pruning:

It can help to prune your geraniums after the first bloom, especially if there are only a few new buds visible. It will take a little longer for the new flowers to bloom, but the plant will become much bushier and produce many more flowers over the same area. After pruning, it’s best to give them a little extra water and fertilizer. By not pruning all your geraniums at once, you can encourage an even longer blooming period.

Long-blooming geraniums

Geranium ‘Rozanne’

Geranium 'Rozanne' (who doesn’t know it?) is still incredibly popular. It’s a vigorous grower, with fairly large blue-purple flowers that have a white center and often feature dark veins. The flowers may fade slightly in higher temperatures. If not pruned back, this geranium can grow unexpectedly tall (up to about 60 cm). Rozanne (also known as Geranium gerwat) is the longest-blooming geranium. This perennial also spreads quite widely; feel free to plant just 1–3 per square meter.

Incidentally, this is a registered trademark. Growers are therefore not permitted to propagate Geranium Rozanne without a license. Previously also available under the name Geranium Jolly Bee.

Flowering: July through November
Location: sun – partial shade

Geranium ‘Azure Rush’

Geranium Azure Rush is a compact-growing variety of the well-known and popular Geranium Rozanne. Like Rozanne, Azure Rush also has blue-purple flowers with a white center. It blooms from July through November. It grows to about 30 cm tall and is much less prone to spreading rapidly. Perfect for small gardens and also ideal for growing in a pot!

Flowering: July through November
Location: sun – partial shade

Geranium ‘Buxton’s Blue’

Like Rozanne, Geranium wallichianum ‘Buxton’s Blue’ is derived from (among others) Geranium wallichianum. However, Buxton’s Blue was developed earlier than Rozanne. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful and long-blooming geranium that blooms from late spring until the first frost. The flower color ranges from purple-blue to bright blue. As the weather cools in the fall, the color becomes brighter. It has a somewhat trailing growth habit and reaches a height of about 40 cm.

Flowering: July through October
Location: partial shade

Geranium 'Blue Sunrise' (Blogold)

A descendant of Buxton’s Blue, it stands out for its orange new growth and blue flowers that bloom from June until the first frost. As temperatures drop in the fall, the flower color changes from lilac-blue to bright blue. It grows to about 40 cm tall.

Flowering season: July through October
Location: sun – partial shade

Geranium ‘Pink Penny’

A unique geranium known for its large, striking magenta-pink flowers, which appear as early as June. Continues to bloom until the first frost. Spreads out somewhat, reaching about 60 cm. Grows to a height of about 50 cm.

Flowering: June through September
Location: sun – partial shade

Geranium ‘Sylvia’s Surprise’

Geranium ‘Sylvia’s Surprise’ is a good alternative to the popular ‘Rozanne,’ but with pink flowers that also have white centers. It blooms for an extremely long time, from early June (sometimes as early as May) until the first frost. During this period, however, flowering may be slightly less abundant. ‘Sylvia’s Surprise’ grows to about 30–40 cm tall and can spread out. It is a fairly fast-growing plant.

Flowering season: June through November
Location: partial shade

Geranium ‘Dreamland’ (Bremdream)

A beautiful geranium with large pale pink flowers featuring dark veins. Blooms from around May–June through September. It grows fairly compactly, making it well-suited for small gardens or for planting in pots and containers. The foliage is gray-green. It grows to about 30 cm tall.

Flowering season: June through September
Location: sunny spot

Geranium ‘Crystal Lake’

Geranium wallichianum ‘Crystal Lake’ is a unique geranium with striking light blue to ice-blue flowers, featuring a white center and dark veins. It blooms profusely and retains its color well (even in summer). It can grow vigorously and reaches a height of about 40 cm.

Flowering: July through November
Location: partial shade

Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’

Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’ is an older cultivar, but still a great addition to your garden! The flowers are purplish-red with a black center. It blooms from around June through well into October. Its light green to yellow foliage and beautiful trailing growth habit are also distinctive features. It can grow quite wide and tall (up to about 80 cm).

Flowering season: June through October
Location: sun – partial shade

Geranium ‘Anne Thomson’

Geranium ‘Anne Thomson’ is a smaller variety of ‘Ann Folkard’. ‘Anne Thomson’ also has the characteristic purplish-red flowers. It also blooms from June through September/October. Its growth habit is much bushier and more compact, reaching a maximum height of 50 cm. The foliage is less yellow-green than that of ‘Folkard’.

Flowering: June through September/October
Location: sun – partial shade