A native of the temperate zone is a blood-red geranium. It grows well in deciduous forests and on mountain slopes. In nature, this plant can be found in Central Europe, the Caucasus, the Balkan Peninsula and in the European part of Russia. For several centuries, it has also been popular with gardeners who use it as a real decoration for their flower gardens.
Plant description
Blood red geranium (Geranium sanguineum) is a perennial bush up to 60 cm tall, spherical in shape with branched stems that are densely covered with foliage. A special distinguishing feature of this plant is a powerful nodular rhizome and small hairs covering the stems and leaves.
Large single flowers with a diameter of up to 4 cm have 5 petals and are located on long peduncles. Depending on the variety, they have a color from light pink to bright purple. The flowering period is quite long - from June to August. At this time, the geranium bush is completely covered with flowers. The leaves are palmate-separated with a bright green color are no less beautiful. Some of them blush along with the stem by autumn, the other remains green until spring. Thus, the decorative bush remains throughout the year. A small fruit, as it ripens, breaks up into 5 small parts with thin, linearly chiseled seeds.
Growing conditions
Garden red blood geranium refers to unpretentious plants that grow splendidly in one place, without requiring transplantation and division, for 10-15 years. Landing area is selected open and well-lit. Soils are preferred loamy, fertile. The short rhizome of this plant usually grows widely to the sides, therefore, when planting bushes, a distance of at least 30 centimeters should be observed between them. After a year, they form a continuous carpet on the soil surface. It is usually so dense that weeds are not able to grow under its lower leaves.
Due to the tenacity of the roots, geraniums can be planted on steep slopes and used to close the voids in the flower beds as a background plant. Geranium is not affected by disease, insect pests are scared away by its peculiar pungent smell. So caring for plants is just a timely watering. It must be carried out often in the first time after planting, and then do it as necessary. Geranium usually reports a lack of moisture on drooping leaves. Once the plant is watered, it again takes on its former form.
In spring or at the end of the season, all dried parts of the plant should be removed. Blood-red geraniums are resistant to low temperatures, tolerates winter very well, and there is no need to cover it for this period. In spring, during the growing season and before flowering, the plant is fed with mineral fertilizers.
Breeding
In various ways, you can propagate garden geraniums: seeds, rhizome segments. The first method is quite time-consuming, because it is not easy to collect ripened seeds flying in the wind. In addition, with this method of propagation, the characteristics of the variety may be lost. Most often, gardeners use the second method. Strong young roots are separated from the mother bush and planted in prepared soil, ensuring sufficient watering. They reproduce in the spring. Under favorable conditions, the plant can propagate by self-sowing. In this case, only in the second year the blood-red geranium will be covered with flowers .
Varieties
The work carried out by breeders led to the appearance of different varieties of this plant. There are about a dozen of them, of which the most popular are:
Striatum. The plant is stunted - usually no more than 15 cm high, covered with small flowers. Leaves acquire purple color by autumn. Light pink flowers have dark eyes.
Album. It is considered one of the best varieties. Its height can reach 30 cm. It differs in the white color of the flowers, which turn yellow by the end of summer.
Compactum Blood-red geranium, which is great for decorating roofs. A very lush plant, whose height is 10-15 cm, is usually grown in flowerpots and rock gardens.
Nana Another undersized variety with pink flowers.
Prostratum. This variety has a particularly long flowering. The flowers are dark pink in color.
Application
Blood red geranium is used for group plantings in borders, rockeries and other garden decorations. A very beautiful combination is obtained with neighbors such as bells and cuffs. Geranium bushes serve as a magnificent decoration of the garden all year round.
In early spring, they are covered with bright green leaves, in summer the flowering period begins, and in autumn, almost all parts of the plant acquire a beautiful purple color.
But not only the decorative properties of this plant is famous. For a long time there is an opinion that geranium is able to protect from the evil eye and attract wealth. The plant is also used in the leather industry, preparing tannin extracts from it. It has great benefits for health. Blood red geranium as a medicinal plant is very popular.
The healing properties of geraniums
Almost all of its parts — root, leaves, and flowers — have useful properties. Of these, infusions are prepared that are effective in so many diseases. The infusion prepared from this plant is able to expand the coronary vessels. It is recommended for many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, perfectly relieves pain in ulcerative lesions of the gastric mucosa. When fractures make special baths with the addition of infusion.
In different countries, geranium is used. So, in Moldova, an infusion from the rhizome of this plant is used as an antiseptic solution. They are washed with purulent wounds, gargle with diseases such as tonsillitis, tonsillitis. In Bulgaria, the same infusion is used as an astringent; inflammatory skin diseases and dermatoses are treated. In addition, geranium has a calming effect and improves sleep.
Thus, not only the decoration of the garden, but also an assistant in the treatment of various diseases will be blood-red geranium. Photos of various varieties of this plant should be thoroughly studied to choose the plant that will fulfill the decorative function in your area to the fullest.