Geranium cantabrigiense St Ola

Geranium x cantabrigiense 'St Ola' is an excellent perennial ground cover, distinguished by its beautiful spring flowering with numerous pink buds opening into pure white flowers of a good size, which stand out well against its rich olive-green foliage. It spreads slowly and forms a very attractive carpet, composed of aromatic leaves that take on a beautiful colour in autumn. Ideal for natural gardens, it is not afraid of competition from the roots of trees and bushes, nor the severe winter cold, and tolerates summer heat.

Geranium x cantabrigiense 'St Ola', obtained in the 1990s in the Scottish archipelago of Orkney, belongs to the Geraniaceae family. It is a horticultural cultivar of the natural hybrid Geranium x cantabrigiense, derived from the Balkan coast Geranium dalmaticum and the southern Geranium macrorrhizum, which is hardened by dry summers. This hardy herbaceous perennial forms a carpet 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10in) high, and spreads laterally thanks to its stolons to a width of 50 to 80 cm (20 to 32in). Its growth is quite slow. It produces countless flowers in open cups, 2.5 cm (1in) in diameter, of pure white colour, dotted with pink stamens, from late spring, May-June, to July depending on the climate. The aromatic leaves, round and palmate, divided into lobes, generally persist during normal European winters. They are fairly dark, but brighter green in season, then take on reddish tones in autumn and winter.

This perennial geranium adapts to almost all exposures, but dislikes scorching sun, especially in hot climates. It is a ground cover plant for light woodlands or margins that works wonders under deciduous bushes and at the base of hedges, on the not too shaded side. Easy to grow once established, it requires little maintenance. The Geranium x cantabrigiense 'St Ola' will quickly add a colourful touch to perennial beds and elegantly highlight the curve of a pathway. It will be welcome at the base of your precious plants, which it will not suffocate but will enhance with its fuzzy foliage. It will also find its place on balconies, terraces, in planters, borders, rockeries, and in flowerbeds where it will prove to be a faithful companion to columbines, Lamium, Epimedium, foxgloves, and bellflowers.