As the rostrum dries out, five strips, each attached to one mericarp, spring away from a central column, explosively flinging away the seeds. At the base of the rostrum are five fruit segments (mericarps) each containing one seed. Image: Geranium 'Brookside' from Thompson & MorganĪfter the flowers are fertilised, the petals fall and the base of the style rapidly lengthens and thickens to form a structure known as the rostrum, the ' cranesbill'. Hardy Geraniums are also called ‘cranesbills’ due to the beak-like shape of their seed pods How do you collect seed from a hardy geranium? Geranium leaves are attractively lobed and the plants are thus valuable even when not in flower. They are borne freely, often over a long period, and are mostly ½-1½ inches (15-40mm) in diameter. The symmetrical five-petalled flowers are purple, pink, blue or white and are easy to blend with virtually any colour scheme. procurrens) spread widely, rooting at the nodes. Most species are clump-forming, but several form spreading mats, while very few (e.g. sanguineum) and medium sized herbaceous perennials (the majority of species) to the magnificent G. farreri, through rock garden varieties (mainly forms of G. Species range in size from tiny 'alpines' like G. Hardy Geraniums are in fact one of the most important groups of garden plants, being easy to grow and eminently suited, both aesthetically and ecologically, for all the different habitats of the garden environment. The genus Geranium contains over 300 species distributed mainly in North Temperate regions, and more than 100 varieties are presently in cultivation. Image: Geranium bohemicum 'Orchid Blue' from Thompson & Morgan

Geranium 'Orchid Blue' is a compact variety that’s perfect for ground cover

Raspberry twizzle geranium seeds