Geranium farreri is a low, mounding plant with stems 10-15 cm tall. The leaves are round in outline but deeply lobed into seven segments. The light pink, 3 cm diameter flowers have blue-black anthers. In the wild, flowers are produced in mid-summer. Native to scrubby slopes and alpine meadows of NW Yunnan and southern Gansu at 3900-4500m elevation. It naturally grows on limestone. This species was discovered by Reginald Farrer in August 1914 on the Min Shan mountains.
Late spring to early summer
This Geranium does best in full sun with limestone scree conditions. If growing on sandstone or granite, a yearly dusting with lime is recommended. It completely disappears in winter. It resents excess winter wet but requires consistent moisture during the growing season. It is also useful in alpine troughs or in an alpine house setting.
Seed, division and cuttings