Geranium maculatum Chatto

The Geranium maculatum Chatto, sometimes called Beak of Crane or Maculate Geranium, is a variety of perennial Geranium with abundant foliage and small light pink flowers. Its bushy habit makes it a good ground cover for the base of hedges, roses, or the front of borders.

Flowering, generous, and easy to grow, perennial Geraniums have everything going for them. Especially since, unlike Balcony Geraniums (which are actually Pelargoniums) with which they are sometimes confused, they are perfectly hardy, at least down to -15°C (5°F) and therefore remain in the ground all winter.

Native to North America and belonging to the Geraniaceae family, the Chatto Geranium has a rounded habit, reaching an average height and width of 50 cm (20in). Its medium-sized flowers are a delicate pale pink and emerge above a lovely semi-evergreen, finely cut and fresh green foliage. It blooms in May - June, but if you take the care to remove its faded flowers, it will maintain a beautiful appearance and may even reward you with a second flowering in late summer.

Easy to grow and not very demanding, you can plant it in full sun or partial shade, ideally in humus-rich, moist to slightly wet soil, but without excess.

In the garden, you will always find a small space to plant one or more perennial Geraniums; in a rock garden, in a woodland setting with Ferns and Woodrushes, near Roses that they elegantly dress the base of, along a border with, for example, Lady's Mantle, and even in pots.