Cranesbill 'Biokovo'

Questions about cranesbill 'Biokovo'

Does cranesbill 'Biokovo' need sun or shade?

Cranesbill 'Biokovo' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled.

What zones does cranesbill 'Biokovo' 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 cranesbill 'Biokovo' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to late June. 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 cranesbill 'Biokovo' 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 10 in (25 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many cranesbill 'Biokovo' 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 threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.

In the bed above, the planner used four in two groups.

Is there a native plant like cranesbill 'Biokovo'?

Cranesbill 'Biokovo' is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Wild strawberry: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 4 in shorter, flowers early May to early June.
• Creeping woodland phlox: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 6 in narrower, flowers late April to late May.

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

What flowers after cranesbill 'Biokovo'?

Cranesbill 'Biokovo' is over by late June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Astilbe: from late June to mid July, 24 in tall.
• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
• Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall.

What does cranesbill 'Biokovo' look like in winter?

Cranesbill 'Biokovo' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.