Geranium 'Dragon Heart'

'Dragon Heart' is such a mellow, softly mounded plant that it's difficult to describe just how big and powerful it really is. Compared to other hardy Geraniums, it's a monster of a creation, with dozens upon dozens of sizzling magenta blooms and profuse gray-green foliage. To us, of course, it's simply a thing of beauty.

Named a Top Perennial of 2014 in England, Dragon Heart has roared its way across gardens over several continents. It's a particularly good choice for our longer, hotter American summers, outblooming all others and indifferent to a bit of extra humidity or even to coastal salt spray. When other hardy Geraniums are gently winding down, Dragon Heart is just revving its engine for another wave of color!

And such color it is -- fully 2 inches wide, these blooms are suffused with bright magenta-violet and scored with a small black eye and spidery black veining along each petal. The flowers are held at the end of the stem, so they dot the plant in a canopy of color. What a magnificent effect! Set them among Coreopsis, Echinacea, and Gaillardia in the sunny border!

'Dragon Heart' grows about 12 inches high and spreads 18 inches wide. Left to itself, it forms a nicely rounded, footstool sort of shape. Placed in a crowded setting, it meanders around its neighbors, finding its feet where it can and mingling its beautiful foliage and flowers with nearby plants. Never aggressive, it wends its way up and through, creating a lovely combo look.

Introduced by the Scottish plantsman Alan Bremner, 'Dragon Heart' is a selection of the Eastern European species G. dalmaticum. It loves moist, rich soil and a bit of afternoon shade in southern and western gardens. Feed and water it well, and it will establish easily in your garden and grow its best for seasons to come. Zones 4-8.