Armenian cranesbill

Questions about armenian cranesbill

Does armenian cranesbill need sun or shade?

Armenian cranesbill grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does armenian cranesbill grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does armenian cranesbill flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid June to late July. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should armenian cranesbill be planted?

2½ ft (80 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3½ ft (100 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 3½ ft (100 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many armenian cranesbill plants do I need?

At 2½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 2 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 5 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is there a native plant like armenian cranesbill?

Armenian cranesbill is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Showy milkweed: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 8 in narrower.
• Bluestar 'Storm Cloud': the same job in a bed; 12 in shorter, flowers mid May to mid June.
• Pale purple coneflower: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 16 in narrower, medium leaves, not bold.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

What flowers after armenian cranesbill?

Armenian cranesbill is over by late July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.
• Garden phlox: from mid July to early September, 3½ ft tall.
• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does armenian cranesbill look like in winter?

Armenian cranesbill dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.