Geum chiloense Dolly North

Geum chiloense 'Dolly North' is a variety of long summer flowering avens. From June to September, a multitude of double flowers in a vibrant deep orange are carried on long, slender and branched stems, rising above a dense tuft of gracefully lobed light green leaves. This perennial, with its wild and delicate appearance, will bring intense colour to borders or edges in the sun!

Geum chiloense is a Chilean herbaceous perennial, native to Chiloé Island and belonging to the rose family. 'Dolly North' is a hybrid that forms a basal rosette of semi-evergreen, deep green, pinnate leaves that are slightly hairy and measure 20cm (8in) in length. This avens bears terminal panicles of cup-shaped, globular, double flowers measuring 5cm (2in) in diameter, in a deep orange colour, with a large golden yellow stamen cluster blending into the intense colour of the crinkled petals. With an open bushy habit, this cultivar reaches 50cm (20in) in height when in flower, with a spread of 40cm (16in). Like many long-flowering perennials, this avens is not very long-lived, so it is recommended to divide it every two to three years to keep it in the garden for a long time.

Hardy and very floriferous, the avens is an easy plant and very adaptable, suitable for sunny or semi-shaded positions, in ordinary, moist but well-drained soil. To fully enjoy its magnificent flowering, this splendid variety, 'Dolly North', will be ideally placed at the edge of borders, flowerbeds, mixed borders, in rockeries, or even in pots. Its flower stems will make beautiful bouquets. As it requires some space to develop well, it is important to leave enough clearance around its base. It will blend wonderfully with other spring and summer-flowering perennials in shades of blue or purple. Consider pairing it with more upright and rigid silhouettes such as ornamental garlic. Copper and bronze Irises, as well as the silver foliage of Artemisias, for example, will enhance the depth of its orange colour. In partial shade, it will complement Ferns, Lady's Mantles, Spurges, and Grasses. By mixing several varieties of avens together, sublime colour harmonies can be created! In the sun, it will perfectly match Dahlias, Penstemons, Lobelias, Shrub Carnations, and Hardy Geraniums.