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Hardy Geranium
Geranium
Also called cranesbill and perennial geranium
Hardy Geranium blooms from May through August.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Hardy Geranium
Plant it in part sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 16 in tall and 24 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Hardy Geranium
Plant Hardy Geranium in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Hardy Geranium get?
16 intall5 ft 7 inan adult24 inwideSee Hardy Geranium in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Hardy Geranium
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Hardy Geranium about 24 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Hardy Geranium to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Hardy Geranium's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenGeranium maculatumheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionGeranium sanguineumheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionIllinois Extension Flowers (Cranesbill, Hardy Geranium, Geranium sp.)height, hardiness zones and sun
- Utah State University ExtensionPerennial Geranium or Cranesbill, Geranium spp., in Which Perennials a...height, spread and sun
- lancaster.unl.eduNebraska Extension in Lancaster County (Perennial Geraniums Make Great...hardiness zones and sun
- Portland NurseryHardy Geranium: Cranesbill, the genussun and trait tags
- utianews.tennessee.eduUniversity of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, UT Gardens (Hardy Ge...sun and trait tags
- Iowa State University ExtensionGrowing Perennial Geraniums in Iowa, cranesbills as a groupsun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 10 varieties across 5 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
- Ann Folkard
- Biokovo
- Brookside
- Johnson's Blue
- Kashmir White
- Max Frei
- New Hampshire Purple
- Patricia
- Rozanne
- Wargrave Pink
Compare every variety in the Hardy Geranium group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Folkard | Purple | Jun–Sep | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 1.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Biokovo | White | May–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 10 in × 20 in |
| Brookside | Blue | Jun–Aug | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 20 in × 24 in |
| Hardythis page | Purple | May–Aug | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 16 in × 24 in |
| Johnson's Blue | Blue | May–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 18 in × 24 in |
| Kashmir White | White | Jun–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 20 in × 24 in |
| Max Frei | Pink | May–Aug | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 10 in × 16 in |
| New Hampshire Purple | Purple | May–Aug | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 12 in × 20 in |
| Patricia | Pink | Jun–Sep | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 2 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Rozanne | Blue | Jun–Oct | Zones 5–8 | Part sun | 1.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Wargrave Pink | Pink | May–Aug | Zones 4–8 | Part sun | 20 in × 24 in |
Good to know about Hardy Geranium
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Two plants share the name geranium. The true hardy geranium (cranesbill) is pet-safe, but the annual bedding 'geranium', really Pelargonium, is toxic to cats and dogs. per ASPCA and NC State
Cold-hardiness varies by species
By species: G. sanguineum and G. maculatum are hardy to about zone 3, while 'Rozanne' is rated only to about zone 5. In cold zones pick the hardiest species. per NC State
Deer resistance by species
Garden cranesbills like 'Rozanne' and G. sanguineum shrug off deer and rabbits, but deer will eat the flowers of the native wild geranium. Treat the native as browsable. per NC State and Wisconsin
Cut back for rebloom
Deadhead or cut the plant back after the first flush of bloom to drive a second wave of flowers and fresh foliage. The signature care move. per Penn State and Illinois
Feeds bees and butterflies
The open, accessible saucer flowers draw bees and butterflies over a long season. The native G. maculatum even feeds a specialist bee, Andrena distans. per NC State and Wisconsin
Native type self-seeds
The native G. maculatum self-seeds freely, flinging seed 10 to 30 ft to form colonies. Clumping garden cranesbills stay put; divide them in spring or fall. per Wisconsin and NC State
Keep the crown shallow
It wants moist but well-drained soil. Planting the crown too deep or in waterlogged ground invites crown and root rot, the main way it fails. per NC State and Illinois
What pairs well with Hardy Geranium
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Aster
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Perennial Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Goldenrod
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Azalea
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Autumn Crocus
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Hyacinth
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Windflower
Shares part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Switchgrass
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.