| Notes: | Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerates drought due to thick rhizomes. Tolerates hot and humid summers better than most other geranium species. Unlike many other geraniums, plants of this species do not need to be cut back, sheared or otherwise trimmed after flowering. This bigfoot geranium cultivar is a clump-forming perennial which spreads by rhizomes to form a dense ground cover that chokes out most weeds. Typically grows 9-12" tall and spreads to 18-24" wide. Five-petaled, deep magenta flowers (to 1" diameter) with dark red sepals appear in terminal clusters above the foliage from mid to late spring. A sporadic rebloom may occur in summer. Flowers give way to cranesbill-like seed heads. Palmate, deeply-lobed (5-7 lobes), medium green leaves (basal leaves 4-8" wide) are hairy, sticky and fragrant. Leaves acquire attractive red and bronze tints in fall. Foliage forms an attractive ground cover throughout the summer and fall. Species plants are commonly called bigfoot or bigroot geranium in reference to the thick, fleshy rhizomes. |