The Geranium Catherine Deneuve is a new variety that, contrary to appearances, is extraordinarily floriferous.

Geranium Catherine Deneuve

In flower since June, this hardy geranium continues to surprise me. With its star-shaped flowers, I initially thought, upon seeing it in a photo, that it was derived from a geranium (x) oxonianum, resembling the very classic Geranium oxonianum f. thurstonianum (a variety once widely used in the shady corners of mixed borders and gradually replaced by more floriferous hybrids).

However, upon examining it more closely, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this selection is derived from geranium psilostemon, the parent of the famous Geranium 'Patricia' and G. 'Dragon Heart', a rather enticing detail considering the floribundity of these geraniums. Finally, while cultivating it, I find that this new geranium, perhaps slightly less floriferous than the previously mentioned varieties, has an astonishingly long flowering period. In flower since June, the inflorescences keep renewing, and last year it was still in bloom in November!

The small size of the flowers certainly explains this performance; its reduced petals require fewer resources, allowing the plant to exhaust itself less quickly and renew its flowers more rapidly. It strikes a perfect balance between flower size, abundance, and flowering duration—truly a wonderful new addition that deserves its place in our gardens.