Geranium Johnson’s Blue Cranesbill

Geranium Johnson’s Blue is deciduous hardy geranium with masses of lavender-blue flowers in spring and summer. This floweing perennial is a good choice for low-maintenance gardens and creates thick ground cover in the summer months.

Hardy geraniums grow in all temperate areas of the world. They are hardy, palmate perennials with seed heads that resemble a crane’s bill – which gives geranium its alternative name of Cranesbill. Hardy geraniums should not be confused with fleshy-leaved geraniums or pelargoniums that are often used as summer bedding flowers.
The geranium cultivar Johnsons Blue is an established variety raised in the 1950s. It’s a former holder of the RHS AGM and holds the Perfect for Pollinators badge. The palmate mid-green foliage emerges in spring and is quickly followed by 5 cm wide stunning lavender-blue flowers with a red tinge at the centre. As they fade, the flowers turn pearly grey.

This deciduous perennial is best left to spread via its rhizomes in a wildlife-friendly low-maintenance border.  

Height And Spread of Geranium Johnson’s Blue
Low-growing Cranesbill Johnsons Blue will reach a height of 50 cms and spread over a metre within 5 years.

How Hardy is Geranium Johnson’s Blue
This hardy geranium withstands minus temperatures if the roots are well-drained and it enjoys full sun. Pests are rarely a bother.

How To Use Geranium Johnson’s Blue
There’s an old saying ‘if you don’t know what to plant, plant a geranium’ and Cranesbill Johnsons Blue lives up to the adage. It will grow in a multitude of informal spaces including country-style flower borders, coastal areas, front gardens, slopes and banks, wildlife spaces, rockeries, beneath tall shrubs such as roses, and as spring to autumn ground cover.
Geranium Johnson's Blue is especially beneficial to pollinators making it a good choice near orchards, vegetable gardens, beehives, and butterfly-lover gardens.

How To Care for Geranium Johnson’s Blue
Cranesbill Johnsons Blue is very low maintenance. Once established it needs little if any aftercare.
Choose a spot in any moderately fertile soil, including sandy or chalky sites, and water well until established. It prefers full sun to partial shade but will cope with shadier spots though it will produce fewer blooms.
Regular pruning is not required as it is best left to spread, but you can cut off spend flowers and old stems to regenerate new growth throughout the summer.