Botanical Name: Geranium x 'Johnson's Blue'
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Common Name: Johnson's Blue Cranesbill  
Plant photo of: Geranium x 'Johnson's Blue'
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Ground cover, Perennial

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Blue, Lavender

 

Flower Season

Spring, Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Entry, Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Parking Strip, Walls / Fences, Walkways

 

Special Uses

Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:

  • Description

  • Notes

Johnson Blue geranium is a mounding, creeping, weaving perennial that grows 15 to 18 inches tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Foliage is deeply lobed, nearly segmented, and is soft green and slightly hairy. Fall leaf color is crimson to purple. Its flowers, while not true blue, are a lovely periwinkle blue with a violet eye, five-petaled, and seem to bloom from late spring to fall. It has a tendency to weave in and around other perennials creating a lovely ground cover. Use in borders, rock gardens, or at the feet of taller shrubs and ornamental grasses.
Grow in well drained soil of nearly any type, in full sun to part shade. It can be sheared back after flowering to give it a tidier appearance, but it isn't necessary. The best time to cut back the foliage is in late winter to early spring, before new foliage emerges. Perennial geraniums, the true geranium, are not related to the fun-loving, annual plant commonly called "geranium" - those are pelargoniums.