Creeping Geranium Plant Guide [Care Tips, Pictures and More]

Creeping Geranium Plant Guide [Care Tips, Pictures and More]Are you looking for a ground cover plant, one that will quickly take over and is easily cut back or divided? Do you want a flowering plant that might survive your learning to have a green thumb?  If so, then Creeping Geranium might be for you. We will tell you more and share some beautiful photos with you.  Read on to find out more about this unique plant.

What Is Creeping Geranium?

In 1789 the family of plants Geraniaceae was separated into two genera. Known in Latin as Pelargonium peltatum and Geranium, creeping geranium is a spreading version of these flowering evergreen perennials. Both genera have their versions. They are familiar to most gardeners as house plants, garden plants, and ground cover or bedding plants.

Creeping geraniums or hardy geraniums have lengthy flowering periods with colors of blue, pink, purple, orange, white, and red. Some other common names for this plant include geraniums, Pelargoniums, or cranesbill.  Because these plants are deer resistant and work well on a slope of the bank, they are often the first choice for gardeners.

How to Grow This Plant

Where is this plant grown? In gardens, outdoors or indoors.

Gardening Zone

Growing in temperate regions, they are hardy in USDA zones 3-9. You can find the USDA hardiness zone map by clicking here. Geraniums can be an outdoor plant, a container plant, as well as an indoor plant.

Plant Sizes

The sizes of geranium plants differ depending on the variety. There are a few dwarf varieties that will grow five to six inches tall. However, as a general rule,  geranium varieties tend to be twelve to fifteen inches wide, and twelve to twenty-four inches tall. Be sure to check if you are purchasing a spreading variety or not. Creeping geranium is a spreading variety.

 

Best Climate for Creeping Geranium

If you are growing your creeping geraniums outdoors, you need to be aware of nighttime temperatures.  Creeping geraniums do best in night time temperatures of fifty to sixty degrees. They can survive in temps that drop to thirty-two or climb to eighty degrees on the condition that they are kept somewhat dry.

Soil Type for Growing Creeping Geranium

Let's talk about soil types. Loam soil that is crumbly and high in organic matter will provide the best growth, especially at or near pH levels of 6.5.  However, geraniums will do well in most garden soils, assuming the dirt is well-drained.

Light Requirements for Creeping Geraniums

Most geraniums, including creeping geraniums, thrive in light shade. However, they can tolerate morning sun and afternoon shade. You can read more about it here: Do Geraniums need full sun?

Water Requirements for Creeping Geraniums

Watering and fertilization requirements are also crucial for plant care. For creeping geraniums, they require average watering. Average water requirements mean that the earth should dry between waterings. Geraniums that are to wet will have leaf drop. During the winter they will need less watering. When actively growing creeping geraniums should be fertilized on a two-week cycle.

How To Grow Creeping Geraniums Step-By-Step

Spring is the best time to plant geraniums. Plant after the last frost date for your area. They may be started from seed, by transplant, or direct sowing.

  • Choose your location (in the garden, in containers, indoors or outdoors).
  • Check light levels in your chosen location.
  • Gather planting supplies (container, trowel, seeds, watering can)
  • Sow seeds in-ground, or soil-filled bowl and cover with a quarter-inch of soil.
  • Water consistently, making sure your planting medium has good drainage.
  • Enjoy your long season of beautiful flowers.

Plant Gallery

1. Brilliant Colors

A close up photo of a pink geranium

The brilliant hues of geraniums are an ideal way to add pops of color to your garden.

For more ideas check out our posts about pink geraniums and red geraniums too.

2. Quick Ground Cover

A field of gorgeous geraniums

If you have an area of the garden that you want to fill quickly, Creeping Geranium might work for you.

3. Hardy Garden Plant

A pot of geraniums hanged on the window

These plants prefer consistent watering and good drainage, however, Creeping Geranium is one tough choice for your garden. This particular one survived a year on its own.

4. Ideal For Hanging Containers

A garden display with geraniums

Geraniums love soil that drains well with full sunlight to light shade. Creeping Geraniums are ideal in hanging planters.

5. Background Bloom

A garden with a violet and red geraniums

Creeping Geranium as a background cover is beautiful with its flowers quietly catching the eye.

6. Companion Plant

An arched wall hole with three pots of geraniums

Creeping Geranium is a hearty companion plant that will fill in and play well with other plants in your garden.

7. Layers And Levels

A violet and red geraniums

By knowing the height your plants grow you can make lovely layers in your garden. Since Geraniums are about two feet tall, they make an excellent mid-layer.

8. Prized Plants

A pot of gorgeous red and peach geraniums

Geraniums including creeping varieties are favorite plants for their smell, used in jams, jellies, teas, and to make essential oils.

9. Clusters

Most Creeping Geraniums grow in clusters of lively colors, and they will look great in any garden.

10. Contrast

The leaves of the geranium species are so dark green that their flower colors are eye-catching.

11. Pick Your Favorite

Hues of purple, orange, blue, and white mean you can mix and match Creeping Geranium colors.

2. Simplicity With Class

A close up shot of a pink and red geraniums

Creeping Geraniums are a simple solution for groundcover, and are a beautiful addition to one's garden.

13. Front Porch Sitting

Creeping geraniums are unassuming and will add a touch of happiness to your front porch sitting areas.

14. Climbing Colors

A close up shot of a red geranium

Are you looking for a way to make a container more eye-catching? Climb the layers of color up from the container, and it gives a sense of movement to your container garden.

15. Monochromatic

One way to draw the eye to color in your containers might be making each container using monochromatic flower colors. Achieve this by using multiple shades of one color, in several varieties of plants.

16. Indoor Outdoor

A garden filled with red geraniums

By planting a creeping geranium in a container, you can overwinter your garden indoors, then continue to enjoy it in the spring.

17. Spring, Spring, Spring

Using various plants with multiple color choices, you can create a living bouquet of color in one planter.

18. Flair For The Dramatic

A huge bush garden with multicolored geraniums

Using Creeping Geraniums as ground cover, and then finding a dramatic flaring plant lends a touch of drama to your entryway planters.

19. Window Boxes

Is there anything more quaint than the well-kept window box?

20. Trailing Vines

A violet geranium hanging on the balcony of a house

Choosing Creeping Geraniums and mixing them with trailing vines in a window box will either make your neighbors jealous of your green thumb or happy to see your beautiful home out their window.

Where To Buy Creeping Geraniums Online

There are several places online to buy Creeping Geranium in seeds.

Amazon has Creeping Geranium seeds for sale. There are ten high-quality seeds per pack.  

Click here to find Pelargonium peltatum on Amazon.

If you are looking to be amazing in your garden space, Amazon also has these rare rainbow Creeping Geraniums, one hundred seeds per order.

Click here to see these on Amazon. 

Brecks.com sells a variety called Johnson Blue Hardy Geraniums that will spread by seed.

Click here to view Blue geraniums. 

And you can also check out this list of 40 online stores where you can buy geranium plants and seeds.

Add Some To Your Garden

Adding Creeping Geranium or Cranesbill to your garden is a good idea. They are low maintenance, hardy, spread to provide good groundcover, and beautiful. You can overwinter them inside, and enjoy them all year round. They are perfect for window boxes, or excellent ground cover for a slope.

What else is there to say? Buy seeds, and plant these beautiful flowers in your garden. Leave a comment telling us what variety you bought.

You can learn more about geranium care in our guide on how to grow geraniums. Enjoy!

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