New Hampshire Geranium

A colorful, mounding perennial, the New Hampshire Geranium has the ability to thrive in a range of soil types, withstand hot sun, and need little supplemental irrigation. Dissected leaves provide landscape interest, but the real draw are the plants beautiful purple blossoms. Magenta-purple flowers appear in late spring and persist well into the summer. For a final show each year, the leaves often turn a brilliant crimson-red. It is also deer and rabbit resistant and attracts bees and butterflies. A creeping habit makes the New Hampshire geranium an excellent choice for a massed planting. Its ability to withstand hot sun and cold winter conditions makes it quite versatile. Whether in an alpine or rock garden or used as a woodland border, edging, or groundcover, it fills in quickly to create a bushy but fine-textured interest. New Hampshire Geranium Care The New Hampshire Geranium prefers fertile, well-drained soils but does tolerate drier, poorer soils. It requires a site with at least 4 hours of direct sun daily to thrive. Once established, the geranium is fairly drought tolerant, so it is often recommended for waterwise landscapes. It typically requires about half an inch of moisture weekly, so may need supplemental irrigation during extended dry spells. A light pruning to remove spent blooms after the first flowering encourages reblooming. If old stems flop over after the first blooming or in midsummer and regrow from the base, the old stems can be cut just above the soil line to maintain a tidier appearance. After plants enter dormancy in the fall, remove dead leaves and stems. New Hampshire Geranium Spacing The New Hampshire Geranium grows low to the ground and spreads slowly by underground runners. It reaches a spread of 12 to 15 inches, so bear this in mind when spacing for massed plantings or using the geranium as a filler plant between other specimens. It can also be divided every few years.