Geranium 'Dragon Heart'
A striking and vigorous perennial with bold magenta blooms and long-lasting garden impact
Botanical name: Geranium 'Dragon Heart'
Common name: Hardy Cranesbill
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Height: 50cm (1.6ft)
Spread: 80cm (2.6ft)
Position: Prefers full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soil; adaptable to a range of garden soils
Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -20 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H7)
Flowers and Foliage
‘Dragon Heart’ produces large, open magenta-pink flowers with dramatic blackish-purple centres and veining, creating a vibrant contrast that stands out even from a distance. These eye-catching blooms are held above mounds of deeply lobed, mid-green foliage that forms a spreading, trailing clump. The plant’s vigorous growth and extended flowering season make it a reliable choice for long-lasting border colour.
Garden Uses
This variety is perfect for mixed borders, informal garden beds, and cottage-style planting. Its spreading habit allows it to fill gaps effectively and trail among other perennials. It also works beautifully at the front of borders or weaving through other plants such as hardy salvias, ornamental grasses, and penstemons. ‘Dragon Heart’ is also suitable for larger containers or raised beds, where its trailing growth can spill over the edges.
Wildlife Benefits
The nectar-rich flowers of Geranium ‘Dragon Heart’ are highly attractive to bees, hoverflies, and other pollinating insects, making it a great addition to wildlife-friendly gardens. Its dense foliage also provides shelter for beneficial ground-dwelling insects.
Deadheading: Remove spent blooms regularly to encourage continued flowering
Feeding: Apply a balanced fertiliser in spring to support healthy growth and flower production
Pruning: Remove flowered stems and old leaves to encourage the production of fresh leaves and flowers
Dividing: Can be divided every 3–4 years in spring or early autumn to maintain vigour
Summary
Geranium 'Dragon Heart' is a bold, free-flowering perennial that delivers intense colour and ground-covering growth throughout the summer. With its large magenta blooms, wildlife appeal, and ease of care, it’s a valuable addition to any garden looking for vibrant, naturalistic planting with minimal effort. Ideal for everyday gardeners who want beauty, reliability, and long-lasting performance.
Buying Perennials from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we lightly trim back our perennials after flowering and trim them back at the end of the season to ensure that the plants remain neat and tidy whilst in the pot. The more tender the plant the less we cut back to help protect exposed stems from winter frost. Depending on the plant variety we will then prune back further in spring once the risk of the more severe frosts is over.
As a result, depending on the time of year you buy perennials, they may not look like images showing their ‘prime time’ in flower and looking at their best.
From late autumn onwards and dependent on variety, there may be very little visible above the soil except for a few cut back dormant leaves or stems. It is perfectly normal for dormant plants to look like this from autumn onwards, they will however burst back into life in spring.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
Perennials are described and classified differently by different gardeners but all would agree that they are plants that come into flower every year from early spring to late summer, the exact time dependent on variety and most die back to ground level in autumn and winter.
As for all plants, soil preparation is time well spent. Dig over the area to be planted ensuring that the ground is free draining. If not then you may wish to either consider planting in a different spot or raising the level of the planting area by adding additional topsoil, well rotted garden compost and/or well rotted manure. Add ‘Fish, Blood and Bone’ fertiliser or a high potash fertiliser to encourage good root growth and development.
It’s always a good idea to plant a few of the same plant together, we recommend planting in 3’s or 5’s to provide a bold effect but allowing them plenty of room to develop.
Always check eventual plant heights when planning borders to ensure that the taller plants are at the back (or at the centre of an island bed) followed by the medium and then smaller low growing plants.
Remember to deadhead perennials after flowering, trim back lightly in autumn as required to tidy the border and if necessary trim again in spring once the risk of heavy frost has passed.
If perennials get too big, start to flower less and less or if it seems to be dying off from the centre, consider dividing the plant but always check that the particular variety is happy to be divided and that you divide at the right time of year for the plant.
By using this simple guide and a little time, perennials can make an absolutely spectacular difference to your garden.
No posts found