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RHS Plan t Trials and Aw ardsRHS Plan t Trials an d Aw ards

www.rhs.org.uk

Hardy Geran ium s Stage 1Jam es Arm itage

Botanist , RHS Garden W isley

Bulletin Num ber 10

Jun e 2005

Hardy Geran ium s Stage 1Jam es Arm itage

Botanist , RHS Garden W isley

Bulletin Num ber 10

Jun e 2005

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Entries

There were 136 entries in th e Trial, subm itted as plan ts by

n urseries in t h e UK , Holland and USA, by collection

h olders and by ind ividuals (listed on p .13).

The m ajority of entries in Stage 1 were cultivars, hybrids or

variants of th e following species:

Staging a Trial of Hardy Geraniums

The great n um ber of geranium s available to garden ers

mean t th at a comp rehensive assessmen t of th e genu s could

not be achieved in o ne trial with out m ost of the Wisley

Trials Field being given over to th eir cultivation. For th is

reason th e Trial of Hardy Geranium s was divided into t hree

staggered stages. The com position of each stage was

decided by Geranium experts Elizabeth Stran gman and

David Hibberd based on cultivation requirements and

taxon om ic relationsh ip. In Stage 1 geranium s best suited

to a bright spot were grown. Many of th e plants in th is

Stage were from th e Praten se Group, which in cludes

species such as G. him alayense, G. clarkei an d G. pratense

itself, joined by representatives of oth er species that enjoy

similar condition s. Stage 2 was mainly com prised of

G. oxonianum cultivars with selections ofG. psilostemon,

G. sanguineum and summ er dorman t species also assessed.

Stage 3 in cluded species such as G. m acrorrhizum ,G. phaeum an d G. sylvaticum which ben efit from a little

shade. To com plete th e set a separate trial of geranium s

suitable for th e rock garden was also con ducted.

RHS Trial of Hardy Geran ium s

RHS Plant Trials and Awards2

Objectives

To recomm end th e Award of Garden Merit to th ose

plant s considered the best for garden d ecoration

To com pare th e large nu m ber of new cultivars with

older established plants

To demon strate and recomm end different meth ods of

cultivation

To establish correct n om enclature

To describe, photograph and take herbarium specimens

of entries as a perman ent record of th e trial for futu rereference.

Records

Flowering period start an d en d of flowering

Height and spread

Staking required or n ot

Habit groundcover, spreading, mound-forming,

scrambling

Evergreen retention of foliage over wint er

Hardiness

Elizabe th St rang m an

Fr o n t co ve r : Geranium Si rak

R i g h t : Geranium B lu e C l o u d

Da v i d H i b b e r d

G. asphodeloides

G. clarkei

G. collinum

G. gymnocaulon

G. him alayense

G. ibericum

G. magnificum

G. oreganum

G. palmatu m

G. pratense

G. pyrenaicum

G. regelii

G. renardii

G. ruprechtii

G. saxatile

G. transbaicalicum

G. t raversii

G. yeoi

plus Sout h

African species

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3/16Hardy Geran ium s Stage 1 3

Geranium Blue Clou d (H4) 2004

Geranium Brookside (H4) 2004

Geranium Mavis Sim pson (H4) 2004

Geranium Nim bu s (H4) 2004

Geranium Orion (H4) 2004

Geranium palmatum (H3-4) 1993 Reconfirmed

Geranium pratense (H4) 1993 Reconfirm ed

Mrs Kendall Clark

Geranium pratense (H4) 1993 Reconfirm ed

Plenu m Violaceum

Geranium riversleaianum (H4) 1993 Reconfirm ed

Russell Prichard

Geranium Sirak (H4) 2004

Award of Garden Merit subject toverification of cultivar name

Geranium magnificum Rosem oor

Award of Garden Merit rescindments:

It will be recom m end ed th at th e AGM be rescinded from

th e following at th e next review of th e Award in 2012

Geranium clarkei Kashm ir Wh ite AGM(H4)1996

Geranium himalayense AGM(H4)1993

Gravetye

Geranium Joh n son s Blue AGM(H4)199 3

Geranium renardii AGM(H4)1993

(H 4 ) = h ar d y th ro ug h ou t th e U K

( H 3 - 4 ) = m a y re q u i re so m e p r o t ec t io n o v e r w i n t e r i n so m e

p ar t s o f t h e Br i t i sh I s les

The Award of Garden Merit

To gain this award a plant must:

be excellent for ordin ary garden use

be available

be of good constitution

be reasonably easy to grow

be reasonably resistant to p ests and diseases

be essent ially stable in form an d colour

Judging

The trial was assessed for th e Award of Garden Merit by th e

Floral Trials Subcommittee using the following criteria:

habit

vigour (health)

floriferousness

length of flowering period

foliage

Cultivation of Stage 1Three plants of each ent ry were plant ed on 9 July 2002 on

a prepared site. The soil on t he Trials Field, th ough sandy

and free draining, is rich in nutrients, due to it being

extensively cultivated for various trials. The soil has a p Hof 7.5. Generally, hardy geranium s perform best on a soil

of med ium to low fertility soil, so n o fertiliser was added.

Many o f the en tries in Stage 1 required stakin g, this was

don e in April before strong growth h ad begun , using birch

or hazel twigs up to a height of 2m.

After flowering all plants, with t h e exception of the South

African species, were cut righ t down to th e ground . This

not only m ade the plant s tidier by removing the seed

h eads and d ead foliage, but gave th em a new lease of life

and encouraged a second flush of flowers. Over winter

m any en tries proved to be evergreen, formin g attractive

m oun ds of foliage. The t rial con cluded after th ree years, at

which tim e most plants would have benefited from being

divided.

Pests

The most frequent ly encoun tered pests foun d on any

hardy geraniums are:

Capsid bugs: Sap-feeding in sects active from m id May to

end of August. Their feeding on th e shoot tips cause leaves

to develop with man y tiny holes.

Geranium sawfly: Green ish-grey, caterpillar-like larvae with

black heads that live on the underside of the leaves where

they make rounded holes. Damage occurs during May Septem ber. The dam age is m ostly cosmetic.

Glasshouse red spider mite: A sap-feeding p est m ainly

found in late summ er on h ardy geraniums. The tiny m ites

cause a fine p ale speckling on th e upp er leaf surface.

Vine we evil: It is the larval stage that causes problems by

eating the roots. This leads to poor growth and sometimes

th e death of plants. Several plant s in th e trial were killed

by th is pest.

Leaf and bud eelworms: These are m icroscopic worm -like

creatures that live inside t he foliage, causing in fested areas

to dry up an d turn brown. This pest was found in the t rial

plant s but in m ost gardens will be overlooked.

An drew Halstead

PRINCIPAL ENTOMOLOGIST

Award of Garden Merit (AGM)

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Geraniums in the wild

Few genera are more suited as a wh ole to h orticultural use

than Geranium and the qualities of hardiness, adaptability

and ease of propagation th at have fitted th em so well to

the garden have also encouraged their spread in the wild.

More th an 420 species ofGeranium are currently

recognised and they are foun d on every continent on

Earth , except Ant arctica, usually in m oist, temp erate

regions. Such conditions prevail over much of northern

Eurasia and North America and across mountainous areas

further south and it is from these places that m any of our

garden favourites, such as G. phaeum , G. him alayense an d

G. maculatum , origin ate. These species tend t o be

perennial, forming bold plant s in m eadows or open

woodland. Wh ere conditions become warmer around th e

Mediterranean and Arabian peninsula there are a greater

nu mber of ann ual and sum mer dorm ant species. In severalareas of the world geraniums grow at such high altitudes

th at th ey have become true alpines; mu ch smaller plants

adapt ed to shallow soils and low tem peratures. As is often

the case species inhabiting islands are amongst the most

eccentric, the Madeiran endemic G. m aderense is a huge

mo nocarp while the Hawaiian G. arboreum forms a shrub.

Geraniums in the garden

The hardy geraniums are undou btedly one of the m ost

pop ular groups of garden plant s. Th ey are beautiful,

reliable and en dlessly various, and todays stunn ing

h ybrids are th e mod ern flag bearers of a genu s with a long

h istory in British gardens. There are no records to tell uswhen herb Robert (Geranium robertianum ) was first used for

its healing prop erties, or its ornam ent al relatives G.

praten se, G. san guineum an d G. sylvaticum for th eir beauty.

It is hard to imagine gardening w ithout hardy geranium s. In

their midst are plants t hat are totally indispensable. They are

resilient, versatile, and offer something for every garden

situation. Rich in colour and generous in display, t he best h ardy

geraniums are deserving of any mixed border. RHS AGM trialsare essential in order to pinpoint t he truly excellent plan ts t hat

every gardener should have. The RHS AGM is certainly one of

the m ost important aspects of the work of the RHS.

Fergus Garrett,

HEAD GARDENER AT GREAT DIXTER

Geranium or geranium?

Pelargonium is a genus of about 280 shrubby or h erbaceous

species mostly native to South Africa. They are most

familiar to gardeners as the brightly coloured h ybrids

grown for containers and sum m er bedding. The con fusionth at persists between th is genus and Geranium the hardy

geranium s or cranesbills is due in part to th e great

Swedish bo tan ist Carolus Linn aeus. In his mon um ental

workSpecies Plantarum (1753) Linn aeus included all th e

Pelargonium species un der Geranium and it was by the latter

nam e that th ey first became known to th e gardening

public. In 1789 the French botanist LHritier made clear

th e differences between th e two genera but th e dam age was

don e and, to th e frustration of gardeners and botan ists

alike, Pelargonium is still known by th e common nam e

geranium. Pelargonium is distinguished by h aving um bels of

irregular-shaped flowers, fewer fertile stamens and a nectary

tube. Two other genera are generally included in th e family

Geraniaceae, th e rock garden favouritesErodium and the

tender genusMonsonia which n ow encompasses the

succulent species formerly known as Sarcocaulon.

Th e genus Geranium


Geranium maculatum ( a b o v e l e ft ) w i t h r a d i a ll y sy m m e t r ic fl o w e r s a n d Pelargonium L El g a n t e ( a b o ve r i g h t ) w i t h b i l at e r a l ly

sy m m e t r ic fl o w e r s d e m o n s t r at e o n e o f t h e k e y d i f fe r en c e s b e t w e e n t h e t w o g e n e r a

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As British n atives th eir cultivation m ust date back man y

hu ndreds of years. In th e late 16th century th e first h ardy

geranium s from con tinen tal Europe arrived on British

shores and over the n ext four centu ries species were

introd uced from Asia, the Americas, Sout h Africa and th eantipodes. From these progenitors man y h ybrids and

selections h ave been m ade, particularly as a consequ ence

of th e upsurge of int erest in cranesbills following th e first

RHS Trial of Hardy Geranium s in th e mid 1970s an d th e

pu blication of Peter YeosHardy Geranium s in 1985.

Selective breeding programmes and the natural

promiscuity of the species has resulted in the naming of a

great num ber of variants an d over 550 cultivar nam es are

listed in th e Register of Geraniu m Cultivar N am es (Victor,

2004). Many of these names are given to indistinct plants

and one of the functions of the Trial of Hardy Geraniums

was to help m ake people introdu cing cultivars aware of the

range already available before th ey nam e th eir seedling or

selection.

Structure of a cranesbill

Despite the great variation with in th e genus, hardy

geraniums are immediately recognisable and upon seeing

on e, even if we can n ot be specific, we are able to say

Thats a hardy geranium ! But wh at are th e features th at

give th em t h eir ch aracteristic appearan ce?

Habit: The m ajority of geranium s produce a rosette of basal

leaves from wh ich appears a dense, upright in florescence,

th ough oth ers produ ce few basal leaves and h ave long, lax

stems that scramble amon gst oth er plants.

Roots: Geraniums usually spread on short, stout rootstocks

but som e have tub ers or fast-spreading rh izomes.

Leaves: The basal leaves are generally hairy and separated

into divisions. The division s are lobed an d th e lobes are

usually tooth ed. The d egree of division differs significant ly;

in species of sun ny sites, such as G. sanguineum , th e leaves

are deeply cut, those of shadier habitats have much

shallower divisions. The leaves borne on t h e flower stem s

are mostly in pairs and becom e smaller as th ey approach

the apex.

Flowers: Though somewhat variable in size, the simple,radially symm etric flowers ofGeranium species are all

rath er sim ilar with 5 petals, usually in sh ades of blue or

pink, and 5 sepals which are tipped with a sharp point

called a m ucro. There are 10 anth ers which often release

th eir pollen before th e 5 stigm as become receptive,

encouraging cross pollination.

Fruit: The elongated fruit from which the genus gets its

common name of cranesbill is technically called the

rostrum and is formed from th e style upon wh ich t he

stigmas sit. At th e base of th e rostrum are the seeds held in

a structure called th e mericarp. Geranium h as been split

into th ree subgenera named Erodioidea,Robertium an d

Geranium , based on th e way in wh ich t he rostrumdisintegrates and th e seeds are released.

Hardy Geran ium s Stage 1 5

NikiSimpso

n

2005

Leaf st ruc ture:

Flower st ruc ture:

Un

d ern

ea

t h :

Ve rt ic al sect ion:

st ig ma

stamen

fl ower stalko r p e d i c e l

se p al

s ty le

ant h er

fi lament

nec tary

N

ikiSimpson

2005

t o o t h

l o b e

le af stalko r p e t i o l e

d iv i s ion

se p al

petal

mucro

meric arp

awn

co lumn

remnant s o fstyle

sep al

Frui t st ruc ture:

seed

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G. magnificum

Sterile hybrids between G. ibericum an d G. platypetalum

growing to 70cm or so in height, representing some of themost frequently grown, useful and attractive members of

the genus. Often confused with G. ibericum and differing in

its less angular leaves, failure to set seed an d m ore vigorous

growth. The 7 t o 9 division ed leaves m easure more or less

the same in every direction and the large, open flowers,

often with a n otch in the p etal, are purple to violet. This

cross has arisen independen tly a nu mber of times and

several cultivars have been nam ed in cluding Rosemoor,

Peter Yeo, Hylan der an d Ern st Pagels but th ese are

rather similar and m uch con fused in cultivation.

G. palmatum

A large, dramatic plan t n ative to Madeira and with a

reputation for being rather tender. Eventually supported by

a short stem th e leaves are like a giant version of th ose of

herb Robert and form a rosette from which emerge tall

plum es of cheering pin k flowers. After flowering th e plant

usually dies and shou ld be raised again from seed. Plants in

th e Trial, th ough subjected to some cold weath er, showed

n o susceptibility to low temp eratures.

G. pyrenaicum

A lon g-flowering species from south western Europe,

nat uralised in parts of th e British Isles and a resilient ,

hardy p lant in gardens. The leaves are split int o 7 or 9

divisions bu t h ave a very circular outlin e, growing to about

10cm across. The sprawling stem s bear small flowers, to

2cm across, the pretty petals, each deeply notched at the

tip, are usually pin kish purp le. This species will often self

seed p rolifically; th e cultivars seem to come true if crossing

can be p revented. G. pyrenaicum f. albiflorum has white

flowers and cultivars include Bill Wallis with deep blue-purple flowers and d ark stem s and Isparta which h as

larger, lighter flowers than no rmal.

G. pratense

The com m on cranesbill from Europ e and parts of Asia, a

variable perennial widely grown in gardens. Growing to 1mor more in height the profusion of usually blue, saucer-

shaped flowers sit ato p basal leaves divided into 7 or 9 with

lobes narrower than th ose ofG. him alayense and generally

less finely divided than G. clarkei. The variety G. pratense var.

stewartianum , is early flowering an d h as coarser leaves an d

flowers at th e pink end of the spectrum. Cultivars include

pure white Galactic, Mrs Kendall Clark with lavender-blue,

prominently veined flowers, blue-striped Striatum and

Wisley Blue with clear blue flowers profusely borne.

Unusually for the genus there are some double-flowered

cultivars such as Plenum Violaceum and SUMMER SKIES

(Gern ic).

G. magnificum G. pratense

G. pyrenaicum

I spar ta

G. palmatum

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Th e species in cluded in Stage 1


G. renardii

From th e Caucasus this clump -form ing species is a plant

worth growing for its foliage alone. The basal leaves areround in outline with 5 to 7 divisions and of a curious

yellowish green, the surface much wrinkled and textured,

th e overall effect bein g m ost striking. The leaves are topp ed

by large, flat, pale blue or white flowers, which m ay be

sparsely borne compared to other m embers of the genus.

Amongst selections of the species are Tcschelda with

heavily veined petals and Whiteknghts with quite dark

flowers wh ile the hybrids in clude Zetterlun d, Philippe

Vap elle, Terre Franc h e an d Step h an ie.

South African species

Several South African species were grown in the Trial

including G. pulchrum, G. incanum , G. drakensbergense an dG. caffrum . These species tend t o h ave narrow leaf divisions

an d silvery leaves making th em effective foliage plants.

They will eventu ally become quite shrubby bu t do not

recover well from being cut back an d, th ough sensitive to

frost, will usually reappear from seed if lost over winter. G.

Ram bling Robin G roup are h ybrids between G. incanum

an d G. robustum with pale pink to bluish flowers and may

be good plan ts for gardeners to try.

G. t raversii

From t he wind swept Ch atham Islands, about 500 miles off

th e coast of New Zealand, th is species is a very attractive,

low-growing plant with long-stalked, silver-h airy leaves,

circular in out line with 7 division s. The wh ite flowers, to

2.5cm, are saucer-shaped an d born e over a lon g period.

Almost always known in cultivation from its pink-flowered

variety, G. t raversii var. elegans, th is species is intoleran t of

wint er wet and can be frustratingly difficult to cultivate.

However, several of its hybrids do m ake good garden

plants, amongst them G.

riversleaianum Russell Prich ard,Jean Armour and Aya which make eye-catching

groundcover or border plants, though several others are

best suited to the rock garden.

Other species

Also included in Stage 1 of th e Trial of Hardy Geranium s

were G. collinum , G. gymnocaulon, G. oreganum , G. saxatile,

G. regelii, G. t ransbaicalicum, G. ruprechtii an d G. yeoi.

G. renardii G. Ra m b l i n g

Ro b i n G r o u p

G.

riversleaianum

Russe l l Pr i chard

G. saxatile

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Findings

The comp rehen sive nat ure of the Trial of Hardy Geraniu m s

offered an unp recedented op portunity to assess the

distinctiveness of th e hu ge ran ge ofGeranium cultivars

available and how best these plants can be used in gardens.

A growing t rade

Dr David Hibberd h as made a detailed study of th e rapidly

burgeonin g num ber ofGeranium cultivars. By studying

listings for Geranium in the RHS Plan t Finderhe h as been

able to track the explosive increase in the number of

geranium s available, from 125 in 1987 t o 642 in 2005. Of

th ese plants aroun d 40% are selections from just five

species and one hybrid and it must be doubted if all these

n ames represen t a useful distinction for gardeners. Many of

the plants in trial neither offered the gardener novel

features or an im provemen t on nam ed plants already

available. One o f the key fun ctions of th e Trial was to helpgardeners decide, through the AGM, which of the glut of

geraniums now offered are most worth growing.

Gaining the most from geraniums

Hardy geran ium s are ideal for cultivation in t he op en

ground but are poorly suited to pot cultivation. They are

plants that are best grown in conjun ction with oth er

specimens. Good companions include silver-leaved shrubs

such asElaeagnu s and perennials, like Sedum or Eryngium ,

that will extend th e flowering season.

Hardy geranium s are som etimes criticised for havin g a

short flowering season. However, by cutting the plant back

to groun d level after flowering a second flu sh can o ften be

gained.

One often-overlooked con tribution of hardy geraniums to

th e garden is their poten tial use as wint er groun dcover. A

surprising n um ber of entries proved evergreen if basal

foliage was left un cut over win ter. Good plan ts to u se for

this pu rpose include G. riversleaianum Russell Prich ard ,

G. renardii, G. ibericum and some G. pratense cultivars such

as Mrs Kendall Clark.

Botanical and nomenclatural notes

The number of geraniums available and the similarity of

man y of the cultivars have led to frequent m isnam ing of

plant s. Th e raising of cultivars from seed has been a m ajor

source of con fusion , encou raging variability with in

cultivars and th e retailing of inferior plant s. The

interfertility of so m any o f the species, th ough very useful

to th e plant b reeder, can cause problems in accurately

attributing parentage to chance seedlings and several

plant s submitt ed to trial as cultivars of a particular species

were sho wn t o be h ybrids. Below are some po int s of

interest em erging from a botan ical and nom enclatural

study of the Trial.

The faint blotch es seen on th e leaves ofG. Mavis Sim pson

suggest it m ay be a triple hybrid involving G. versicolor

rather th an a cultivar ofG. riversleaianum so its

attribution to that epithet was rejected.

At least two clones were entered un der the n ame G.

himalayense Gravetye and a Nom enclatural Standard

specimen was made of a plant that closely match ed th e

description of the plant awarded an Award of Merit in the

first RHS Trial of Hardy Geranium s in t he 1970s.

Comm ittee mem bers comm ented th at a plant is frequently

grown in n orthern gardens un der the n ame Mrs Kendall

Clark differs from th e entries in trial with t his n am e.

Cultivars ofG. magnificum were extremely sim ilar and

several differed from th eir published d escription s. Their

nomenclature could not satisfactorily be resolved and a

small trial ofG. magnificum cultivars was initiated.

G. clarkei Kashmir Purple was grown in the first Trial of

Hardy Geranium s but th is name h as since become app lied

to a ran ge of purple-flowered variants. In order to

distinguish the purple-flowered plants from the original

nam ed clone and other colour variants of the species the

Geranium registrar David Victor has pu blished th e nam e G.

clarkei Purple-flowered Group . Ano th er clone collected by

Roy Lancaster in Kashm ir and sometim es sold as Kashm ir

Purple has been n amed Gulm arg.

The range ofG. incanum

G. robustum hybrids grown asRam bling Robin have been given th e nam e Ram bling

Robin Group in th e Register of Geraniu m Cultivar N am es

(2004).

Several n ew cultivar nam es were applied over th e course of

th e trial: Corn ish Can dy an d Laura were given t o n ew

dou ble-flowered selection s ofG. pratense; a plant sim ilar to

Sirak but lower grow ing w as n am ed Karis; a floriferous

clone ofG. magnificum was called Ern st Pagels an d t h e

name Scapa Flow was provided for a G. ibericum subsp.

jubatum an d G. renardii hybrid raised by Alan Bremner.

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10/16RHS Plant Trials and Awards10

irregular. Stem leaves in pairs, m uch cut,

becoming very sm all and bract-like

towards apex. Stems with patent gland-

tipped hairs, becoming sprawling so

fl owers borne around periphery of basal

foliage. Infl orescence becom ing dif fuse

but rem aining u pright. Sepals narrowly

ovate, glandular hairy, mucro to 2mm.

Flowers to 40m m diam eter, violet-blue

(88B) with fine reddish veins, white at

the centre; petals broad obovate, almost

truncate at apex.

Geranium M avis Simpson

AGM (H4) 2004

Sen t b y G l e b e C o t t a g e Pl a n t s

A groun d-hugging cultivar for use in

th e rock garden, as ground cover or at

the front of th e border, with promin ent

pale pink flowers that combine well

with silvery foliage.

Low-growing perennial to 20 55cm in

trial. Basal leaf blades to c.55 70mm

with short adpressed hairs, mid-green,

paler on the un derside, appearing silvery

with faint brown blotches at the notches

that are lost with age, somewhat angular

in outline with 5 or 7 divisions; divisions

tapering to each end from above the

m iddle, lobed to about one third; lobes

broad, rounded, aristate, sparsely

tooth ed. Stem leaves carried in pairs,

similar to basal leaves, becoming smaller

towards apex. Stems lax and sprawling

bearing silvery adpressed hairs especially

at n odes and towards apex. Inflorescencediff use, fl owers carried above foliage.

Sepals ovate, silvery hairy, mucro to

1.5m m. Flowers to 30m m diameter, pink

(74C) becom ing paler at th e centre with

darker veins (74A); petals broad, faintly

notched. Stigmas crimson.

Geranium Nimbus

AGM (H4) 2004

Se n t b y W a t e rp u m p P la n t s

A terrific, extremely floriferous border

plant bearing th e happy combin ation

of delicate cut foliage an d violet star-

like flowers. A class act.

Geranium Blue Cloud

AGM (H4) 2004

Sen t b y H e l l ye r s G a r d e n P l a n t s

Probably a seedling of Nimbus and

sharing th at cultivars narrow petals

and fine foliage but with a spreading

habit and flowers of a lighter hue.

Spreading perennial to 90 170cm in

trial. Basal leaf blades to c.95

120 mm , soon w ithering away, withsparse, whit e, adpressed hairs, m id green,

pale on the un derside, divided alm ost to

the base into 7 and appearing heavily

dissected in silhouette; divisions

rhomboid, overlapping, palm ato-

pinnately lobed; lobes broad lan ceolate,

tapered with a short, acute tip, teeth

coarse, irregular. Stem leaves in pairs,

much cut, becoming small and bract-like

towards the apex and lacking on

upperm ost nodes. Stem s yellowish, long

and spreading with short, patent,

glandu lar hairs. Infl orescence becoming

diffuse. Sepals narrowly ovate, glandularhairy, mucro to 3mm. Flowers to 40mm

diam eter, pinkish violet (85 A/B) with

fine, purple veins, paler at centre; petals

obovate, to 21 14m m, overlapping

only at base, most rounded at apex, some

faintly notched.

Geranium Brookside

AGM (H4) 2004

Se n t b y H o w a r d s N u r se r y

Floriferous an d desirable border plan twith attractive cut foliage and

appealin g violet-blue flo wers. A h ybrid

between G. clarkei an d G. pratense

com binin g grace and reliability.



borne on long petioles with sparse, white,

adpressed hairs becomin g thick at the top

of the petiole, yellowish, particularly on

the un derside, divided alm ost to the base

into 7 and appearing heavily dissected in

silhouette; divisions widest about t he

middle, very little overlapping, heavily

lobed to about h alf way; lobes broad

lanceolate, tapered to a sharp point, teeth

RHS Award of Garden Merit Descriptions

All descriptions are based on plant s grown in Stage 1 of th e RHS Trial of Hardy Geraniu m s and plant s

grown elsewhere m ay differ slightly according to cultivation or local condition s. Colour codes were

taken using the RHS Colour Chart. The fourth edition (2001) is available from RHSE Mail Order, Wisley,

Surrey GU23 6QB. On e further plan t grown as Geranium magnificum Rosemoor was judged worthy

of the AGM, this award was given subject to verification o f the correct nam e.

7/30/2019 Geranium 05


Geranium palma tum

AG M ( H 3 / H 4 )

Se n t b y L i n w a r d H a r d y P l an t s

With is hu ge leaves and pin k plumesof flowers this species from th e sun-

kissed slopes of Madeira shares all that

island s exotic appeal.

Biennial or short-lived perenn ial to 11 0

210 cm in trial forming a massive rosette on

a short stem. Basal leaf blades to c.230

250mm, fleshy, glandular hairy and

aromatic borne on long, succulent petioles,

yellow-green, divided m ore or less to the

base into 5; divisions very little over-

lapping; middle division stalked, much

lobed, lateral divisions with short stalks or

lacking stalks, lobed almost to the base;

lobes to 4 times as long as broad with

toothed secondary lobes. Stem leaves in

pairs becoming rapidly sm aller and less

lobed towards the apex. Stems upright and

open, thickly covered with purple, st icky,

patent, gland-t ipped hairs. Inflorescence

held above foliage, dense. Sepals narrowly

ovate, sticky, glandular hairy, mucro to

2mm. Flowers to 40mm diameter, light

purple-pink (74C), purplish red at the base

(71B); petals long-obovate, rounded.

Geranium prat enseMrs Kendall

Clark

AGM (H4) 1993

Se n t b y M a r g e r y Fi sh G a r d e n a n d

W a t e r p u m p Pl an t s

An o ld cultivar but still one of th e

best for th e border with violet, white-

veined flowers. The epitome of the

roman tic cottage garden perenn ial.

Scrambling perennial to 80 80cm in

trial. Basal leaf blades to c.170 170mm borne on long petioles with very

short, bristly, adpressed hairs confined to

the veins on the underside, mid green,

somewhat paler underneath, divided

almost to the base into 7 or 9 and

appearing rather square in outline;

divisions tapered to either end from above

the m iddle, open and overlapping, lobed

to more than half way; lobes irregular,

narrowly triangular with n um erous

coarse, irregular teeth. Stem leaves in

pairs, sim ilar t o basal leaves becom ing

smaller towards the apex. Stems with

pat ent , gland-tipped hairs, straigh t but

requiring support. Infl orescence compact.

Sepals n arrowly oblong, glandular hairy,

Mound-form ing perennial to 10 0

180cm in trial. Basal leaf blades to

c.75 95m m, soon withering away,

with sparse, wh ite, adpressed hairs

becoming thicker at th e top of the petiole,mid-green, paler on the underside, divided

almost to the base into 7 and appearing

heavily dissected in silhouette; divisions

tapering both ways from about the

m iddle, very little overlapping, palm ato-

pinnately lobed; lobes broad lanceolate,

to 4 tim es as long as broad, tapering to a

sharp point, teeth few, irregular. Stem

leaves in pairs, m uch cut, becoming

sm all and bract-like towards apex. Stems

yellowish, m oun d-forming with short,

pat ent , glandular ha irs. In florescence

remaining fairly compact. Sepals

narrowly ovate, glandular hairy, mucro to

3mm. Flowers to 35mm diameter, violet

(87A) with fine, dark red veins, white at

the centre; petals obovate, to 23 13mm,

overlapping only at th e base, som e faintly

notched.

Geranium Orion

AGM (H4) 2004

Sent b y Co en Jansen

A stunning cultivar for a prominent

spot p rom isin g a long display of largeviolet-blue flowers in such p rofusion

th at th e foliage is alm ost entirely

obscured. A deligh tful and wo rth y

plant.

Mound-form ing perennial to 10 0

200cm in trial. Basal leaf blades to

c.100 180 mm borne on long petioles

with sparse, wh ite, adpressed hairs

becoming thick at the top of the petiole,

mid-green, paler on the underside, divided

almost to the base into 7 and appearing


widest about the middle, little

overlapping, heavily lobed to about half

way; lobes broad lanceolate, tapered to a

sharp point, teeth irregular. Stem leaves

in pairs, much cut, becoming small and

bract-like towards apex. Stems with

pat ent , gland-tipped h airs, som ewhat

sticky, forming a fl oriferous m ound.

Infl orescence remainin g fairly compact.

Sepals narrowly ovate, glandular hairy,

m ucro to 3m m . Flowers large, to 50m m

diameter, violet-blue (88A/B) with fine

dark red veins, white at the centre; petals

broad obovate to suborbicular, faintlynotched.

7/30/2019 Geranium 05


the n otches, square to sharply an gular in

outline with 7 divisions; divisions

tapering to each end from just above the

middle, pointed with a short blunt tip,

lobed to about one third; lobes narrow,poin ted with few teeth . St em leaves in

pairs, sim ilar t o basal leaves, divisions

little overlapping, becoming smaller

towards apex. Stem s lax and sprawling,

yellowish, bearing silvery adpressed h airs

especially at nodes and towards apex.

Infl orescence diff use, flowers carried

above foliage. Sepals ovate, silvery hairy,

m ucro to 2m m . Flowers to 30mm in

diam eter, purple (78A) with reddish veins

(71A ); petals broad obovate, fain tly

notched.

Geranium Sirak

AGM (H4) 2004

Se n t b y C a m b r i d g e U n i v e r si t y B o t a n i c

G a r d en s an d A n d r e w N o r t o n

A substant ial plant for the bo rder

becoming broad and sprawling as th e

season progresses with bold, glossy

foliage and punchy, pinkish purple

flowers.


trial. Basal leaves c.105 115mm , with

long petioles, sparsely hairy, mid green,

paler on the un derside, divided to about

two thirds into 7 and in silhouette

appearing m uch cut around the edge;

divisions widest towards apex, little

overlapping, lobed; lobes oblong with a

short tip and irregular teeth. Stem leaves

in pairs, pointed becom ing ternate an d

very sm all towards apex. Stems becom ing

sprawling so that the fl owers are borne

around the periphery of the basal foliage.

Infl orescence diff use, procum bent. Sepals

narrowly ovate, hairy, mucro to 3mm.Flowers to 40 m m diam eter, pinkish

purple (78 A/B) with very dark vein s

(79A ), wh ite at the centre; petals broad,

obovate or obcordate.

mucro to 4mm . Flowers to 40 mm

diam eter, violet-blue (91A ), flushed

pinkish violet (87 B) tow ards th e centre

with a broad network of white veins;

anthers very dark; petals broad obovate tosuborbicular, rounded t o fain tly n otched.

Geranium prat ensePlenum

Violaceum

AGM (H4) 1993

Sen t b y H a r d y s C o t t a g e G a r d e n P la n t s

One of th e few double hardy

geranium s producing flowers like tight

violet pompons over a long period in

sum m er. Different an d attractive.

Scrambling perennial to 90 80cm in

trial. Basal leaf blades to c.170

190 m m borne on long petioles with

sparse, white, adpressed hairs confined to

the veins on the underside, mid green,

somewhat paler underneath divided

almost to th e base into 7 an d appearing


tapering to either end from about the

middle, somewhat overlapping, lobed to

more than half way; lobes triangular to

broad lanceolate, blunt tipped with coarse

teeth. Stem leaves in pairs, similar to

basal leaves becoming smaller towards

the apex. Stems yellowish w ith patent,

gland-tipped hairs, upright but requiring

support. Infl orescence dense. Sepals

obscured by petals, ovat e-oblong,

glandular hairy, mucro to 2mm. Flowers

to 25mm, fully double, forming a dense,

globular rosette, violet (87A), blushed

pinkish (80A/B) becoming greenish-yellow

at the centre; petals numerous, obovate,

small, to c.12 8mm, becoming smaller

and distorted towards centre.

Geranium riversleaianumRussell

Prichard

AGM (H4) 1993

Sen t b y B la cksm i t h s C o t t a g e N u r se r y

Superior groun dcover, rock garden or

border plant with startling pu rple-pink

flowers an d silver-hairy foliage, requiring

a well-drained spot t o en sure survival

overwinter.

Low-growing perennial to 40 130cm in


with very short adpressed hairs, mid-

green, paler on the underside, appearing

silvery, lacking faint brown blotches at

RHS Award of Garden Merit Descriptions

Andrew Norton

7/30/2019 Geranium 05


W a t e r p u m p P la n t s, W a t e r p u m p F ar m , R y ef o r d , R o ss- o n - W y e ,

He re fo rd sh i re HR9 7PU

Individuals

M B ar o n ; M r s D H a r t D y k e ; L W P l a n t s C h r i st i n e M o r l e y ; A n d r e w

N o r t o n ; M s Ro b i n P ar e r o f U S A ; Al l an R o b i n s o n .

Acknowledgements

Photography, unless otherwise stated, by Catherine

Steinberg.

Illustrations b y Niki Simp son.

RHS Floral Trials Curatorial staff, headed by Jonathan

Webster (Trials Supervisor)

Particular th anks are d ue t o Barry Phillips (Herbarium

Techn ician) for collection an d arrangem ent of herbarium

specim ens an d C ath erine Stein berg (Botan ical Recorder).

Andrew Norton (Geranium Nation al Plant C ollection ho lder) and David Hibberd (auth or and genus specialist)

have both been very generous with th eir time and

expertise th roughout the trial.

Elizabeth Strangman without whose enth usiasm an d

knowledge the trial would not have taken place.

David Victor, th e Geranium registrar

Further reading

Bath , T. & Jon es, J. (1994 ) The Gardeners Guide to Growing

Hardy Geranium s. David & Charles, Newton Abbot

Bendtsen B. H. (2005) Gardening with Hardy Geranium s.

Timber Press, Portland, O regon.Hibberd, D. (2003)RHS W isley Han dbook s: Hardy

Geraniums. Cassell Illustrated, Great Britain

Parker, G. (ed.). (2001) Hardy Geraniu m s for th e Garden .

Hardy Plant Society, Pershore

Victor, D.X. (2nd edition, 2004)Register of Geraniu m

Cultivar Names. The Geranium Group, UK

Yeo, P.F. (3rd e dit ion , 200 2) Hardy Geraniu m s. B T Bat sford,

London

Societ ies and websit es

The Hardy Geranium Group . Secret ary: M rs T. Fraser,

16 Hallam Grange Croft, Sheffield S10 4BP

The Geraniaceae Group . Membership Secretary: Mr PeterStarking, 22 North fields, Girton , Cam bridge CB3 0QC

ww w.hardy geraniums.com website ofGeranium

Nation al Plant Collection holder, Andrew Norton.

Floral Trials Commit tee

Chairman: Tony Lord

Vice-chairmen: Roy Ch eek, Pam Schwerdt

Members:

Bill Boardm an Bob Brown

Marin a C h rist op h er Jo h n Co ke

David Creese Ivan Dickin gs

Fergus Garrett Joh n Gibson

Dian a Hart Dyke Ton y Hen der

Ian Howell Sibylle Kreutzberger

C hrist op h er Llo yd Aliso n Mu lvan ey

Joh n Paton Grah am Rice

Jean Sam brook Ch ris San ders

Keith San gster Terry Sm ale

Mike Sm allwood Brian Talm an

Ray Waite Victoria Wakefield

Stuart William s

Senders of plants to the trial

Nurseries and Gardens:

A l ine Fa i rw ea the r , H i l lt op N u rse ry, Beau l ieu , Ham psh i re SO 42 7 YR

B la c k sm i t h s C o t t a g e N u r s er y , La n g m e r e, D i ss, N o r f o l k I P2 1 4 Q A

B la c k t h o r n N u r s er y , Ki l m e s t o n , A l r e sf o r d , H a m p s h i r e SO 2 4 0 N L

Ca l l y Ga rden s, Ga teho use o f Flee t , Cast le Do ug las, Sco t land ,

D G 7 2 D J

C a m b r i d g e U n i v e rsi t y Bo t a n i c G a r d e n , C o r y Lo d g e , C a m b r i d g e ,

CB2 1JF

Ca t fo r t h G a rdens , Roo ts Lane , Ca t fo r th , Preston , Lancash i re

PR4 0 JB

C o o m b l a n d G a r d e n s. n o l o n g e r t r ad i n g

Cro f tw ay Nu rsery , Yap to n Road , Ba rnham , Bog no r Reg is , Wes t

Sussex, PO22 0BH

Glebe Co t tag e Plan ts , P ix ie Lane , Wark le igh , Um ber le igh , Devon

EX 3 7 9 D H

Hard y s Co t tage Ga rd en P lan ts , Free fo lk Pr io rs , W h i t ch u rch ,

H a m p s h ir e RG 2 8 7 N J

He l l ye r s Ga rden P lan ts , no long e r t rad ing

Hi l l s ide Co t tage P lan ts , no longe r t rad ing

Ho o Ho use Nu rsery , G louces te r Road , Tewkesbu r y , G lou ceste rsh i re

G L 2 0 7 D A

Coen Jansen , Vaste P lan ten , Ankum m er Es 15 , 772 2 RD D a l f sen

T h e N e t h e r l a n d sL inwa rd Ha rdy P lan ts , 12 Su t ton C lose , Skegby , Su t ton - in -Ashfie ld ,

N o t t s N G 1 7 3 D P

M a r g e r y Fi sh G a r d e n , Ea st L a m b r o o k M a n o r , So u t h Pe t h e r t o n ,

So m e r se t T A 1 3 5 H H

M e a d o w C o t t a g e Pl a n t s, P it t H i l l, I v y b r i d g e , D e v o n P L2 1 0 JJ

N o t c u t t s N u r se r i es, W o o d b r i d g e , S u f fo l k , I P1 2 4 A F

P en n i n e P e r en n i a l s, 1 5 M o u n t V i ew , U p p e r M i l l, Sa d d l e w o r t h

O L 3 6 D B

Procu l t u re P lan ts , Know le H i l l , Badsey, Evesham , Wo rcs WR11 7 EN

RH S G a r d e n W i sl e y, W o k i n g , Su r r e y G U 2 3 6 Q B

Sp i n n e r s G a r d e n , S ch o o l L an e , B o l d r e , Ly m i n g t o n , H a m p s h i r e

SO 4 1 5 Q E

Stewar t s Nu rsery , God s B lessing Lane , Broom h i l l , Ho l t ,

W i m b o r n e , D o r se t BH 2 1 7 D F

The O ld W i thy Ga rden Nu rse ry , Cu ry Cross Lanes , He ls ton ,

C o r n w a ll T R1 2 7 A Y

7/30/2019 Geranium 05


Habit 1 = G r o u n d c o v er

2 = Sp r e a d i n g

3 = M o u n d - fo r m i n g

4 = U p r i g h t ( i n c lu d i n g st a k ed p l a n t s)

O n l y c u l t i v ar s h a v e b e en c o l o u r c o d e d . C o l o u r c o d e s r ef e r t o t h e RH S C o l o u r C h a r t .

Name Colour Habit Dimensions Notes

G. pratenseWis ley B lue (1 ) Pale v io le t (8 8D ) 3 1 40 x 1 9 0cm Ver y at t rac t iv e b ut su f fered fro m m i ld ew in t r ial.

G. O r io n Vio le t -b lu e (8 8A / B) 3 1 00 x 2 00 cm Ex trem e ly fl or ife ro us w i t h la rg e fl ow ers m a rked

w i t h d a r k v e i n s.

G. N im b u s Vio le t (8 7 A) 3 1 0 0 x 1 8 0 c m D ar k-ve in ed fl o w ers p ro fu sely b o rn e.

G. prat ense Plen um Vio le t -b lu e ( 9 3B/ C) 4 1 00 x 1 00 cm At tr ac t iv e d ou b le fl ow er s, p et als p in kish a t b ase,

C a e r u l eu m (2) b u t s p e n t fl o w e r s r e m a i n o n p l an t .

G. Blu e C lo ud Pin kish v io le t ( 85 A/ B) 2 9 0 x 1 70 cm Flo rife ro us w i th fi n e p u rp le ve in s o n fl ow e rs.

G. Joh nson s B lue (3) Vio le t -b lu e (8 9 C ) 4 9 0 x 1 2 0 cm Flo w ers fl u sh ed p in k ish v io le t .

G. prat ense Plen um Vio le t (8 7A) fl ush ed 4 9 0 x 8 0cm Beau t ifu l d o ub le fl ow e rs b u t sp en t fl o w ers

Vio laceu m p in k ish (8 0 A / B) r em ain o n p lan t .

G. magnificum Pu rp le 3 8 0 x 1 20 cm Flo w ers ro un d p er ip her y o f fo liag e.

G. pratenseM r s Ken dall C lark Vio let -b lu e (9 1A) 4 8 0 x 8 0cm Flo w ers fl ush ed p in kish at cen tre w it h w h it e vein s.

G. prat enseC luden Sapph i re (4) Pu rp le-b lu e (9 4 B) 4 8 0 x 8 0 cm Flo w ers fl u sh ed p in k ish vio le t a t b ase.

G. Pr im a D o n n a (5 ) Vio le t (9 2 A) 2 7 0 x 1 5 0 cm Larg e fl o w er s b eco m in g p in ker w i t h ag e.

G. S tephan ie (6 ) Vio le t (8 5 A / B) 2 7 0 x 1 1 0 cm A t t rac t iv e , g lo ssy, y e llo w -g reen fo l iag e.

G. Br o o ksid e Vio le t -b lu e (8 8B) 2 -3 6 0 x 1 90 cm C en tre o f fl ow ers p ale, fl ow ers b orn e o n

p e r i p h e r y o f f o l i ag e .

G. Te r re F ranch e (7) Vio le t -b lu e ( 88 C ) 2 -3 6 0 x 1 0 0c m A tt rac tiv e y ello w - gr een fo liag e, p et als v ein edfl u sh ed p in k ( 8 2 B) d ark p u rp le .

G. pyrenaicum Isp ar t a Pu rp le-v io le t (8 2 B) 4 5 0 x 1 5 0 cm Pret t y t h o u g h fl o w ers are sm a ll . Plan t h as

w it h p a ler ey e f r ag ran ce o f m i lk ch o co la t e .

G. prat enseBL A C K B E A U T Y Vio le t (8 8 C ) 3 5 0 x 5 0 cm C o m pac t g ro w t h . Fo l iag e d ark g reen , alm ost

( N o d b eau t y ) b lack at m arg in s.

G. ibericum subsp . jub at um (8 ) Vio le t -b lu e 2 4 5 x 1 0 0 cm St ro n g ly n o t ch ed p et als w it h red d ish p u rp le ,

f ea the red ve ins .

G. N u n w o o d Pu rp le Vio le t (8 8 C ) 4 4 0 x 1 4 0 cm Sp raw lin g g ro w t h req u ir in g su p p o r t . Fo l iag e

ye l low ish .

G. renardii W h it ekn ig ht s Vio le t (8 5 B) 3 4 0 x 6 5 cm Larg e-fl ow ered w it h at t rac t iv e w r in k ly fo liag e.

fl u sh e d p u r p l e

G. pyrenaicum Bil l W al l is D eep vio let (8 2 A) 2 -3 4 0 x 5 0 cm Less v ig o ro u s t h an ot h er cu lt iv ars o f t h e sp ec ies.

G. Ram b lin g Ro b in G ro u p Pin kish p u rp le 4 3 0 x 1 2 0 cm At t rac t ive silvery fo liag e. G ro w th lo o se an d o p en .

Stage 1 selection guide

Blue-flowered plants in order of height

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

7/30/2019 Geranium 05


Pink-flowered plants in order of height

Name Colour Habit Dimensions Notes

G. prat ensevar. pratense Pin kish p u rp le 4 1 15 x 1 50 cm St ro ng g ro w in g an d fl o r ife ro us.

E l izabeth Yeo (1) ( 7 4 C )

G. palmatum Pu rp le-p in k 3 1 1 0 x 2 1 0 c m Ro set t e-fo rm in g w it h la rg e leav es an d u p r ig h t

inflo rescence .

G. asphodeloidessu b sp . Pa le p in k (6 9 C ) 2 -3 5 0 x 1 4 0 cm In fl orescen ce b eco m in g ver y sp read in g w it h

asphodeloidesPr ince Regent (2) m a t u r i t y.

G. Su e C r g (3) Pin kish pu rp le (7 4B) 3 4 5 x 10 0cm O p en hab it . Flo w ers h eav i ly ve in ed pu rp le.

G. riversleaianum Pu rp lish p in k ( 70 A) 1 4 0 x 1 3 0c m A tt rac tiv e, si lv er y fo liag e. Req u ir es g o od

Ru sse l l Pr ic h ar d d rain ag e.

G. Sirak Pin k ish p u rp le (7 8 A) 2 3 5 x 7 0 cm Flo w ers b o rn e aro u n d th e p er ip h ery o f t h e fo liag e.

G. O r k n e y P in k (4) Rich p u rp le p in k 3 3 5 x 6 5cm C om p ac t p lan t. Fo liag e d ark y e llo w -g reen .

(c losest t o 78A)

G. Pin k D elig h t Pin k (6 8 B) , p aler 1 3 0 x 1 1 0 cm Silvery fo liag e co m b in es w ell w it h fl o w er co lo u r.

a t c e n t r e

G. M av is Sim p so n Pin k (7 4C ), p aler 1 2 0 x 5 5cm Sim i lar t o Pin k D el ig h t b u t w i th b r ig h ter

at c en t re fl o w ers.

G. prat ensevar. pratense W h it e, o cc asio n al 4 1 1 0 x 1 0 0c m Vig o ro u s an d a t t r ac tiv e b u t su ffer ed f r om

f. albiflorumGa lac t i c (1) v io le t st r ip es m ild ew in t r ial .

G. prat ense St r i a t u m (2 ) W h it e , st reaked 3 9 5 x 8 0 cm G o o d u p r ig h t h ab it .

w i t h v i o l et

G. prat ense Lau ra (3) W h it e 3 9 0 x 1 3 0 cm A fl o r ife ro u s, d o u b le-fl o w ered p lan t b ec o m in g

t w i g g y w i t h a g e .

G. prat ense A lb u m W h it e . 4 9 0 x 8 0 cm St am en s in ky b lu e-b lack .

G. Kash m ir G reen W hit e , g reen 2 -3 5 5 x 1 3 0 cm Flo w ers b o rn e aro u n d p er ip h er y o f fo l iag e.

t o w a r d s c e n t r e

G. renardii W h it e w i t h 3 4 5 x 6 5cm Fo liag e at t rac t iv e ly w r in kled b ut n ot as

p u rp le ve in s. fl o r i fero u s as so m e.

G. him alayense D er r ick C oo k W h it e w i t h 2 -3 4 0 x 1 30 cm Flo w ers b o rn e o n t he p er ip h er y o f t he fo liag e.

p u r p l e v ei n s

G. clarkeiKash m ir W h it e W h it e w it h p in kish 3 4 0 x 9 0 cm At t ract ive cu t fo liag e. Flo w ers ap pear in g g rey ish .

p u r p l e v ei n s

G. asphodeloidesS ta r l i gh t (4) W h it e, t in g ed p in k 2 3 0 x 1 50 cm U nu su al sm a ll, st ar - l ike fl ow e rs.

o n v e i n s

W hite-flowered plant s in order of height

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

7/30/2019 Geranium 05

16/16

Trials O ffice

RHS Garden

Wisley

Woking

Surrey GU23 6QB

e-m ail: tr ials@rh s.org.u k

www.rhs.org.uk/trials

Reg charity no . 222879

All text an d im ages Cop yright RHS 2005

Botan ical illustration Co pyright Nikki Simp son

ISSN: 1477-9153 (print)

ISSN: 1447-9161 (online)

RHS Bulletins

Canna: September 2003

Daisies (yellow, perennial): September 2004

Delphinium : June 2004

Lavender (hard y): July 200 3

Miscanthus: October 2004

Potentilla (sh rubb y): July 200 2

Potatoes (salad): November 2004

Saxifrages (silver): May 2005

Spiraea ja ponica (with coloured leaves):

November 2003

These bulletin s can be viewed at a larger

size on th e RHS Website:

w w w.rhs.org.u k/ plant s/ trials_bulletins.asp

The Royal Horticultural Society

The RHS is the UKs leading gardening charity dedicated to

advancing horticulture and prom oting good gardening. Its

charitable work includes providing expert advice and

information, advancing h orticulture, training th e n ext

generation o f gardeners, helping school ch ildren learn

about p lants, and con ducting research in to plant s, pests

and environ m ent al issues affecting gardeners. Th e RHS

AGM plant trial scheme is an important part of this work.

The RHS receives no governm ent grants an d for every

pound received from members subscriptions we need to

raise more than twice as much again to fund ou r charitable

work. We also rely on donations and sponsorship to

supplement in come from our garden operations, flower

shows, shops an d plant centres.

RHS Plant Trials

With so m any different types of gardener and so man y

different cultivars available to th em in each group of

plants, it is imp ortant th at a system of recomm endation is

in place to h elp with selection at poin t of sale. These

recomm endations m ust be clear and reliable to en sure that

of the th ousan ds of plants available in t h e UK, a

proportion are known to be excellent garden plants. The

RHS provides this information th rough its exten sive

programm e of plant t rials h eld at RHS gardens in th e UK.

The RHS Award of Garden Merit signifies th e selection

of the best plan t for general garden use.

RHS plant trials serve the p rofessional gardener wh o wan ts

to know the range of plants available, including the latest

breeding and selection programmes, with their distinctive

characteristics and p rovenan ce. Th ey also serve the

amateur wh o wants to kn ow which plant s will grow and

perform well in a p articular garden situation .

The RHS has an un rivalled resource of knowledge an d

expertise and is th erefore best placed to con duct p lant

trials for th e UK gardenin g market.

RHS Herbarium

The RHS Herbarium keeps a record of trial cultivars as dried

specimens with detailed descriptions and phot ograph ic

images. This forms an im portan t reference for the

h orticultural indu stry. An y new cultivars are highlighted

and a Stan dard Specim en is preserved an d described.

The RHS Herbarium, stored at RHS Garden Wisley, is the

largest active horticultural herbarium in th e world. At

present the collection contains about 80,000 herbarium

specimens an d over 30,000 images of plants. Material is

actively collected from a wide spectrum of sources

includin g RHS plant trials.

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