The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) is 31 year-old trade and industry group that seeks to promote perennial plants through education, lobbying and publicity efforts. The plants probably don’t care about this, but the horticultural industry that depends on them does. Every year at about this time, the PPA rouses winter-bound gardeners all over the country by announcing the selection of a hardy, dependable perennial as its “Perennial Plant of the Year.” The 2015 winner is one of my favorites: Geranium x catabrigiense ‘Biokovo.’
This geranium with the tongue-twisting name is one of the hardy geranium tribe, not to be confused with the big-headed pelargoniums that we grow in our pots and window boxes in temperate weather. Both belong to the geranium or Geraniaceae family, but while pelargoniums cannot survive freezing winter temperatures, hardy geraniums shrug them off.
‘Biokovo’ is a low-grower, reaching only six to 10 inches high, but spreading somewhat farther. It bears rounded, lobed foliage and lots of butterfly-like pinkish white flowers that hover above the leaves. The flowers, which are greatly enhanced by prominent dark pink stamens, generally bloom in late spring and last a respectable amount of time on the plants. When not in flower, ‘Biokovo’ makes an excellent ground cover, providing an even, weed-preventing carpet in sunny to lightly shaded areas. Because of its short stature and rather shallow roots, the plant should go in the front of the border, at the feet of shrubs, or in the rock garden. It also does nicely on lightly shaded slopes. A happy ‘Biokovo’ will spread efficiently over time and is easy to divide or transplant. It needs almost no attention and is not bothered by pests. In my yard, at least, the deer do not touch it and, in fact, will lean right over it to get to their favorite lilies. This may be because of the geranium’s lightly scented foliage or it might be due to divine intervention. Either way, ‘Biokovo’ seems to be protected.
While hardy geraniums have been on the ornamental gardening scene for quite awhile, especially in England, ‘Biokovo’ is something of a Johnny-come-lately. According to Martyn Rix and Roger Phillips, in their excellent book, Perennials, a similar plant, a hybrid between bigroot geranium—Geranium macrorrhizum—and Dalmatian geranium—Geranium dalmaticum—was first raised in 1974, by Dr. Helen Kiefer at the University Botanic Garden of Cambridge University. The Cambridge geranium had bright pink flowers, but was otherwise very similar to a pinkish-white-flowered hybrid of the same two species found growing wild in the Biokovo Mountains in Croatia. In honor of both discoveries, the lighter colored hybrid was given the Latinized form of the university’s name—“cantabrigiense”—as its species name and the ‘Biokovo’ varietal name in honor of the home of the naturally occurring hybrid.
‘Biokovo’ is justifiably popular with discerning gardeners, as well as lazy ones like me who appreciate a truly carefree plant. It is offered by the nursery at East Lambrook Manor in Somerset, England, the celebrated garden of the late garden doyenne, writer and hardy geranium enthusiast, Margery Fish. Mrs. Fish, who created her cottage landscape in the 1940’s, ‘50’s and ‘60’s and died in 1969, did not live long enough to discover ‘Biokovo,’ but it would fit perfectly in her garden. In her time and now, hardy geraniums nestle in beds and crannies in rock walls. It is perhaps fitting that the East Lambrook Manor nursery also supplies a lovely little hardy geranium named in honor of Oxford University, Geranium x oxonianum ‘Rose Clair.’
Varieties of hardy geranium also grow at Sissinghurst in Kent, England, the enormously popular garden created in the mid twentieth century by writer Vita Sackville West and her diplomat husband, Harold Nicolson. I am not sure ‘Biokovo’ is there, but its close relations certainly are.
Hardy geraniums are also sometimes called “cranesbills,” because their seedheads look a bit like the heads of the long-beaked birds. After the flower petals have faded, the seedheads remain and add interest to the plants.
Because of the PPA “Plant of the Year” distinction, ‘Biokovo’ will probably be everywhere this spring, from big box stores to high-end garden centers. Once you get your specimen home, all you really have to do is put it in the ground. Water regularly for the first month or so, if rain is not forthcoming every few days, and the plant will flourish. After a couple of years it will be big enough to divide and spread around. Unlike other plants with territorial tendencies, hardy geraniums are vigorous but mannerly.
Sometimes marketers hype plants that are fashionable but unworthy. This year, the PPA has picked an enduring winner. Whether you think of it as a sturdy child of Croatia or an elegant alumnus of Cambridge University, ‘Biokovo’ is most likely to succeed.