Bloody cranesbill

Questions about bloody cranesbill

Does bloody cranesbill need sun or shade?

Bloody 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, of average fertility, and little watering once settled.

What zones does bloody cranesbill grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °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 bloody cranesbill flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to late July. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

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 bloody cranesbill be planted?

18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 12 in (30 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many bloody cranesbill plants do I need?

At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

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

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

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

Is bloody cranesbill poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like bloody cranesbill?

Bloody cranesbill comes from Europe to Caucasus. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Scarlet coral bells: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 6 in taller, medium leaves, not fine.
• Alpine aster: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 6 in narrower, flowers mid May to late June.
• Threadleaf coreopsis 'Zagreb': the same job in a bed; 4 in taller, flowers late June to late August.

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

Do deer eat bloody cranesbill?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after bloody cranesbill?

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

• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall.
• Ornamental onion 'Millenium': from mid July to late August, 18 in tall.
• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.

What does bloody cranesbill look like in winter?

Bloody 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.

Is bloody cranesbill good for bees and butterflies?

Bloody cranesbill is visited by pollinators, specialist bees and butterflies.