Geranium robertianum

RHS Plant Profile

herb robert

Other common names

death-comes-quickly, dragon's blood, fox geranium, fox grass, Jenny Wren, kiss-me-quick, knife and fork, little bachelor's buttons, little red robin, nightingales, pink bird's eye, pink pinafore, red bird's eye, red robin, redshanks, St Robert's herb, stinking Robert, wren flower, llys y llwynog

Synonyms

Geranium 'Dragon's Blood'

Annual Biennial

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An annual or biennial wildflower, with sprawling growth up to 40cm. Leaves are deeply dissected, aromatic and bright green with red older stems. Open sprays of pink flowers to 1cm across appear in summer and autumn

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1–2 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or North–facing or East–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Foliage

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Geraniaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Geranium can be annuals, biennials and perennials, herbaceous or evergreen, with rounded, usually palmately lobed or divided leaves, and lax inflorescences of rounded, 5-petalled flowers
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: Temp. N. Hemisphere

How to Grow

Cultivation

Thrives in sun or shade in any soil. It can be found in woodland, hedgerows and coastal locations and is useful for ground cover in shaded areas. Self-seeds happily, but any unwanted young plants are easy to remove. See herb robert for further information.

Propagation

Propagate by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens
Wildflower meadow

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free, but may be susceptible to powdery mildews in dry conditions