PERENNIALS > genus Geum

IN THIS GUIDE

GEUM GUIDES

close up of orange geum flower with green foliage in background

Commonly known as ‘ Avens ’ , Geums provide splendid colouring , making them a firm favourite at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.1Trends from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 . ( n.d . ) . Royal Horticultural Society . recollect March 16 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/news/2019/trendspotting-at-chelsea-2019

Growing to around 18 inch in tallness , this pretty plant forms propagate mounds of evergreen plant foliation which can add much - needed texture and body structure to your garden .

From May to July their leafy , branching stems hold solitary , intensely coloured flowers , or trivial cluster of smaller , colourful flowers , usually of orange , yellow and red .

Dark orange Geum coccineum close up

Another benefit of geums is that bee discover them extremely attractive , leading them to seed and interbreed freely , as Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly explicate :

“ Because of the aptness to hybridise , there are always new cultivar being introduced .

“ If you introduce specie into your garden you are likely to terminate up with some hybrids of your own .

orange flowers of Scarlet avens in focus

“ I am a great buff of Geums , particularly their long flowering time of year but also for their long flowering stanch which emerge from a low rose window – a great companion plant for other early summer blossoming perennials and bulbs like Alliums . ”

When two species of genus Geum hybridise , either pass by the gardener or spontaneously , their offspring is usually sterile , meaning they ’ll grow efflorescence for farseeing .

Some hybrid can flower for months rather than weeks and wo n’t bring about seeds .

Light orange geum ‘Fireball’

Overview

PreferredFull Sun / Partial Shade

ExposureExposed or Sheltered

HeightRoughly 50 centimetre

alabama slammer variety of geum plant with orange flowers in bloom

Spread0.1 – 0.5 M

Bloom TimeApril – September

PreferredMost Soil Types ( Except Very Dry )

large Mai Tai avens flower in a big open park

MoistureMoist But Well Drained

pHAny

Geums are a genus of around 54 metal money of rhizomatous recurrent herbaceous plant ; they ’re part of the rosaceous family and the subfamily of Rosoideae.2Avens ( Genus Geum ) . ( n.d . ) . iNaturalist United Kingdom . recall March 16 , 2023 , fromhttps://uk.inaturalist.org/taxa/55751-Geum

geum wet kiss growing in a cottage garden with bushy overgrown plants

These plant are unfearing and laze resistant , and their foliage works marvellously for stamp down weeds .

In general , geums favor moist well - drained soil so incorporating constitutive issue when planting will help them to keep on the wet they need to support their growth .

Their foliage can char in the sun , so we recommend plant in partial wraith .

yellow flowering Geum ‘Lady Stratheden’ in a home garden

Where colour is come to , the flowers can come in an keen range of chromaticity , from rich disconsolate reds to blanch pastel yellow .

Geum are say to be a symbolic representation of honor ; the scientific name is derived from the Greek word “ geno ” meaning “ to give off a pleasant fragrance ” , which is likely because of the clove - like aroma the etymon exude.3A Modern Herbal – Avens . ( n.d . ) . Botanical.com . Retrieved March 16 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/a/avens083.html

Geum are highly easy to grow and provide such a grand burst of colour , that they have long been exceptionally pop among gardeners .

a raised planter filled with tall yellow flowering avens

Geum Types

With over 50 species of geums , all with their own singular look – it can be concentrated to pick which one would best suit your garden .

That ’s why we ’ve chosen a few of our favorite to help you get start :

top our tilt is the fireball geum , with its gorgeous orange blooms with red edges , this sort is a stiff front-runner and blossoms gloriously from late spring to early summer .

a vine weevil close up on blue background

Similar to a few other species , this plucky little works also bring forth pretty fluffy seedheads which are passing attractive to the center .

This metal money favor shade , but it can still perform well in the Sunday as long as it is plant where it can get some rest period in the afternoon .

powerhouse geums have coarse , evergreen foliage that can offer texture and interest to your garden .

a bright Geum plant with orange flowers in a spring garden

They are also well - loved by butterflies and other helpful pollinators .

Slamming into our list is the showy Alabama clink .

get to a summit of 10 - 14 inch and a facing pages of 12 - 14 column inch , this fecund small plant has the ability to produce 155 flowers or more .

This species romp golden flush with ruffled edge and has fleck of bolshie and orange .

Alabama pokey are generally very disease resistant and spring up smartly , need very little maintenance .

This variety will prosper in full sun but can tolerate fond shade and choose intermediate to medium moisture and well - drain soil .

‘ Mai Tai ’ Geum get their name thanks to the similar colours they share with the famous cocktail .

Their delicate - look blossom step by step fade from a gentle peach colour to blanch pink and bloom from late spring to former summer .

This species can raise as many as 135 flowers per plant , and their Burgundy wine - color stalk merge with the coloring of their blossom make them extremely esthetically pleasing .

‘ Mai Tai ’ geums do well in both full sun and partial shade and are actually very unfussy when it come to grease type .

Their unique color and slow - going nature intend they are perfect for adding much - needed pastime to any area of your garden .

This clustering - work geum athletics either unmarried or semi - double ruffle flowers which , as the plant matures , fades into a gorgeous orange , dandy colour that is certain to turn heads .

Growing to around 14 inches in both elevation and width , the ‘ Wet Kiss ’ genus Geum prefers moist and rich soil in fond shade or full sun .

That said it can still do well in average grime .

Their lush , green foliage and burgundy stems can add much - need structure and definition to your garden , so if you need to amp up a dull landscape painting , then the pie-eyed kiss genus Geum is just what the doctor order .

If you require to spice up up your garden a act , then this variety is for you .

‘ Rogers Rebellion ’ geums have handsome , unusual , dark scarlet stem turn and buds which then open up to dainty , nodding , raspberry - color flowers with sweet cream undertones .

These stout plants will thrive in both full sun or partial tincture and are ideal for borders as well as make gorgeous cut flowers .

How To Grow Geums

Now that you ’ve brushed up your cognition on Geum , you are no doubt even bang-up to precede them to your garden .

Different varieties will have different need but generally speaking , you will want to plant them in full sun to partial shade and in moisture - retentive soil .

Geums thrive in both acidic and alkaline soil , but they will not deal well at all with soppy , concentrated dirt in the winter months .

you could ameliorate the quality of the earth by introduce organic affair before set .

you could then tauten the plant life in and water on a regular basis , taking extra care in the hot summer months .

spread genus Geum is also extremely easy , side shoots can be hollow up with short trouble and can then be replanted elsewhere in the garden .

They can also be divided in spring and will arrange seed .

Plant Care

blithely , Geum are really low maintenance , the main thing you need to remember is to deadhead them after blossom .

We also extremely recommend dividing the plants every three years or so , this will help keep their strength and promote more unfolding .

If you do n’t disunite your genus Geum , you execute the risk of them becoming woody which may ensue in them cash in one’s chips off .

Common Problems

Geum are remarkably trouble - free plants , slug , snail and deer have very little interest in them .

The one puppet you want to look out for is vine weevil which are , thankfully , very easy to notice .

Vine weevil make their presence knownby chomping out notch of the foliation and will do so by and large between spring and late summer .

Vine weevil grub also savor din out on the roots of genus Geum , and this can be a sea wolf for the flora .

If you are battling vine weevil , then we recommend finding products that wo n’t harm other wildlife , there are plenty to opt from , and many are extremely in force , such as parasitic nematodes , which eat the vine weevil larvae .

genus Geum are generous plants – with minimum movement from the gardener , they can provide a transmittable contrast of colour and mythical foliage that can add dramatic play and profoundness to your garden .

These pollyannaish chaps can make a real financial statement and can help to lighten up non-white corners and liven up bed and borders .

References