Geranium cinereum Jolly Jewel Hot Pink

The perennial Geranium cinereum 'Jolly Jewel™ Hot Pink' is one of the latest creations from the beautiful Jolly Jewel series, very faithful to its ancestor from the mountains of Southern Europe: undemanding and modest, it blooms all summer even in rocky soil. Its cup-shaped flowers are a fairly bright pink, very pale in the centre and heavily veined, they bloom on a cushion of leaves of a slightly greyish matte green. Plant this small perennial between the stones in a rockery, on slopes and in in poor, well-drained soil. Or cultivate it in a nice pot on the terrace!

The perennial Geranium cinereum is a member of the Geraniaceae family. It is native to grassy rockeries in mountains from Southern Europe to the Balkans. The variety 'Jolly Jewel Hot Pink', introduced in 2016, is part of a series of geraniums derived from this species, developed in the Netherlands by Marco van Noort. These creations are distinguished by their long-lasting, vibrant, unusual and varied flowers.

'Jolly Jewel Hot Pink' is an herbaceous perennial plant with a woody stump forming a cushion 15 cm (6in) in height with a minimum spread of 20 cm (8in). Its growth is quite fast, the plant reaching its full development in two or three years. The semi-evergreen foliage is arranged in a rosette. It is composed of leaves 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3in) in diameter, deeply lobed and divided, dark green with greyish reflections, quite soft to the touch. The flowering is renewed from June to September if the soil does not dry out too much, in the form of flowers 3.5 cm (1in) in diameter, in open cups. Their colour is a vibrant magenta pink on the edge, veined with purple, while the centre is very pale pink. They are grouped in clusters of 2 or 3, carried above the foliage on 20 cm (8in) stems. This geranium slowly spreads without ever becoming invasive.  

The perennial Geranium cinereum 'Jolly Jewel Hot Pink' will find its place in rockeries, at the front of perennial borders, and in sunny beds with partial shade in the afternoon. It will be very effective in a flowerpot or well-drained planter. It pairs well with plants with similar needs such as the perennial Geranium renardii, the perennial Geranium dalmaticum, candytuft, limonium, asters dumosus, and whorled coreopsis. It is an ideal perennial for mountain gardens and highly mineral landscapes.