Geranium phaeum

I've been hooked on true Geraniums for years. Right now, G. phaeum is having its moment. Many of the flowers are deep purple which seems appropriate for its common name, the Mourning Widow Geranium. But others are so sweetly colored one wonders if she isn't a Merry Widow. 

This is probably the straight species with some G. phaeum 'Samobor' mixed in. Some varieties have plain foliage but those with the patterned leaves provide color all season.

G. phaeum 'Langthorn's Blue'

G. phaeum var. lividum

G. phaeum lividum 'Joan Baker' has a larger and more pale color flower than the straight G. phaeum var. lividum (above). 

This is G. monacense 'Muldoon' which looks almost identical to the G. phaeum flowers to my eye. I have a nice big clump of it growing next to 'Joan Baker' and they look like siblings, or at least cousins. 

The flowers on all of these tend to flip and flop in all directions. So I'm glad that I find the back of the flowers as attractive as the front. 

Comments

[Kris P]

They're all wonderful plants. Regrettably, I haven't succeeded in growing anything in this species in my current garden. In fact, my luck with the true Geraniums here has been limited - Geranium sidoides does well, as does G. incanum. The latter is a weed ;)