Geranium pratense Black n white Army

The Perennial Geranium pratense 'Black n White Army' is a brand new variety derived from the meadow geranium. It impresses with the striking contrast between the very dark purple nuanced with chocolate of its deeply cut foliage, the reddish-brown of its stems, and the finely veined white with silver-gray of its bright flowers. It forms an astonishing dentate cushion, in chiaroscuro, original and refined. It is a variety with a strong character, but also a perennial for all gardens, which also adapts very easily to pot cultivation.

The Geranium pratense 'Black n White Army' belongs to the Geraniaceae family. It is a very recent variety obtained in England, derived from the meadow geranium, which in nature is distributed over a vast territory, from western Europe to western China. This deciduous and robust species is found in wet meadows, on the edge of roads, in mown meadows.

The 'Black n White Army' variety has a semi-spreading tufted habit. It will reach about 35 cm (14in) in height and 45 cm (18in) in diameter, for the foliage, with rapid growth. It flowers from May to July-August, provided that faded flowers are regularly removed. Its flowers, grouped in cymes, open at the top of hairy branched stems, with a red to brown hue, 40 cm (16in) high. Its flowers, with a diameter of 3 cm (1in), are milky white, marked with fine translucent and speckled veins, with pink stamens giving some color to the heart of the flower. They stand out well from the compound foliage of large polygonal, intensely lobed and toothed leaves, purple, sometimes chocolate, which sometimes turns dark green. They measure 20 cm (8in) long and are almost all along the sturdy stems. The foliage is pleasantly aromatic when crushed.

Like many other perennial geranium species, Geranium pratense and its varieties thrive in a nature-friendly garden and are superb plants, providing nectar and pollen for many insects such as butterflies, bees, bumblebees, etc. It is an ideal plant for a curated garden, along a pathway, on slopes, and in a flower meadow. The 'Black n White Army' cultivar really stands out from the usual varieties; it will be given a special place in a border, along a pathway or even in a large pot on the terrace. For example, associate it with the clematis 'Hagley Hybrid', with its large pink flowers, with which it accompanies the flowering, with silver creeping plants like Stachys lanata, with the acid green of alchemillas or with large white foxgloves.