Plant Library

Other Names:  Meadow Cranesbill

Description:

Deep purple-bronze foliage create a stunning backdrop for large lavender, saucer-shaped flowers that bloom during the early summer months; foliage transitions to dark green with purple edges as the season progresses; deadhead to encourage new growth

Ornamental Features

Hocus Pocus Cranesbill has masses of beautiful lavender flowers with white eyes at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its attractive deeply cut lobed palmate leaves emerge deep purple in spring, turning dark green in colour with distinctive deep purple edges throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Hocus Pocus Cranesbill is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Hocus Pocus Cranesbill is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Hocus Pocus Cranesbill will grow to be about 16 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 20 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Hocus Pocus Cranesbill is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.