Geranium, Ballerina

Ballerina Geranium is one of the most delightful alpine cranesbills for the rock garden or container, forming a compact, low mound studded with a summer-long display of cup-shaped blooms. Each flower is a soft lilac-pink laced with deeper veining and anchored by a dark center eye—a combination that gives even a single plant the intricate, jewel-like quality of a hand-painted miniature. Plants stay tidy at 12 to 18 inches in height and spread, making them equally at home in a mixed container, at the front of a border, or tucked into a rock garden pocket. They bloom generously through summer, tolerating drought with composure once established and asking only for decent drainage and reasonable sun to perform their best. Deer and rabbits leave them alone, and they thrive even near black walnut trees, broadening the options for gardeners who struggle with those challenging conditions. A true workhorse in a charming, understated package.