Buxton's Blue Geranium wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety'

👤 Non-toxic to humans

🐾 Non-toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

ABOUT

Geranium wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety', commonly known as Buxton's blue geranium, showcases rounded, lobed leaves that often have a softer texture and hairiness, resembling a frosted appearance. The foliage can provide a lush, dense carpet of greenery. The plant is celebrated for its striking flowers, which blossom into a vivid display of lavender-blue petals marked with a distinctive white eye at their center, radiating out in vein-like patterns. Blooms are cup-shaped and have a delicate appearance, typically featuring five rounded petals that can sometimes appear lightly veined or with a slight ruffling at the edges. The flowers create an eye-catching display that adds a splash of cool-toned color to any garden setting. The overall impression of Buxton's blue geranium is that of a charming and robust plant with a floriferous habit, bringing both textural foliage and a profusion of colorful flowers that are particularly appealing to gardeners seeking to add long-lasting visual interest to their outdoor spaces.

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Synonyms
  Buxton's Blue, Wallich Geranium, Hardy Geranium, Cranesbill
- Common names
  Geranium wallichianum var. buxtonii, Geranium buxtonii
Toxicity
- To humans
  The plant known commonly as Buxton's Blue is generally considered non-toxic to humans. There is no significant toxic threat from ingesting parts of this plant, and it does not typically cause any severe symptoms of poisoning if consumed.
- To pets
  Buxton's Blue is also considered non-toxic to pets. It does not contain any known toxins that would pose a threat to animals if they ingest parts of the plant, and there are no expected symptoms of poisoning from its consumption.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Deciduous
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  Blue
- Height
  1-2 feet (30-60 cm)
- Spread
  1-2 feet (30-60 cm)
- Plant type
  Herb
- Hardiness zones
  5
- Native area
  Himalayas

Benefits

General Benefits
- Aesthetic Appeal: The Geranium wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety', commonly known as Buxton's Blue Geranium, offers a vibrant splash of color to gardens with its striking blue flowers.
- Attracts Pollinators: This plant attracts bees and butterflies, which are essential for pollination and maintaining healthy ecosystems.
- Low Maintenance: Buxton's Blue Geranium is known for being easy to care for, requiring minimal maintenance once established in the right conditions.
- Drought Tolerance: It is relatively drought-tolerant, making it suitable for gardens in drier climates or for gardeners seeking water-efficient plants.
- Growth Habit: The dense, mounding growth habit of this geranium makes it an excellent ground cover, which can help prevent soil erosion.
- Versatility: Buxton's Blue Geranium can be grown in borders, rock gardens, and containers, showcasing its versatility in different garden settings.
- Seasonal Interest: With a long blooming season from early to late summer, this geranium provides extended visual interest in the landscape.
Medical Properties
- This plant is not used for medical purposes.
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- As an edible flower: The blooms of the Geranium can be used as a colorful, edible garnish in salads, desserts, or drinks, offering a mild flavor and an aesthetically pleasing touch.
- Crafting potpourris: Dried Geranium leaves and petals can be incorporated into potpourris to add a pleasant fragrance to your home.
- Plant dye: Geranium petals and leaves can provide natural dyes for fabrics or paper, producing a range of colors from greens to browns.
- Natural insect repellent: Geranium plants are often believed to repel mosquitoes and other insects when planted in the garden or near outdoor seating areas.
- Companion planting: Geraniums are used in companion planting to protect vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, as they are thought to repel common pests.
- Decoration: Fresh or dried Geranium flowers can be used to decorate cakes or as part of floral arrangements due to their vibrant colors and attractive shapes.
- Perfumery: Geraniums are sometimes used in the production of perfumes and essential oils because of their varied and pleasant scents.
- Botanical art: Geranium leaves and flowers can be pressed and used in botanical art projects or as natural embellishments for handmade papermaking.
- Garden borders: With its dense foliage, Geranium can be planted as a border in gardens to provide structure and delineate different areas.
- Ground cover: Some Geranium species can be used for ground cover in gardens to help control weeds and provide a continuous bed of color.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
Geranium is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
Geranium is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Healing: Geraniums are often associated with healing properties, possibly due to their medicinal uses in various cultures.
- Friendship: Sharing a geranium plant is seen as an offering of friendship, symbolizing wishes for good health and happiness.
- Peace: The geranium is sometimes used as a symbol of peace, with its calming scent and gentle appearance.
- Fertility: Some cultures believe geraniums represent fertility and new life, likely because of their prolific blooming.
- Protection: They are thought to ward off negative energies and can be used in protection rituals.

💧

Every 1-2 weeks

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every year

Repotting

🌱️

Spring-early summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
The Buxton's Blue Geranium prefers evenly moist soil, so it's important to water it regularly. During the growing season in spring and summer, water when the top inch of soil feels dry, typically once or twice a week, using about 16 to 32 ounces of water each time, depending on the size of the plant and the environmental conditions. In hotter, dryer conditions water may be needed more frequently. Decrease watering in the fall and winter, allowing the soil to dry out more between watering, but do not let it become bone dry. It's best to water at the soil level, avoiding overhead watering to help prevent leaf diseases.
Light
Buxton's Blue Geranium thrives in bright, indirect light but can also tolerate some hours of direct sunlight, particularly in the morning. A spot near east or west-facing windows is ideal, providing a good balance of light throughout the day. Avoid placing it in full afternoon sun, especially in hot climates, to prevent leaf scorch.
Temperature
Buxton's Blue Geranium can tolerate a temperature range from roughly 50 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the ideal temperature for promoting growth and flowering lies between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not allow the plant to be exposed to temperatures below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, as severe cold can damage or kill the plant.
Pruning
Regular pruning of Buxton's Blue Geranium encourages bushier growth and more blooms. Prune or deadhead spent flowers throughout the growing season to promote continuous blooming. Give the plant a thorough pruning in late fall or early spring to remove dead and damaged stems and to shape the plant. This can be done annually or biennially depending on the plant's appearance and health.
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
Himalayan Geranium prefers well-draining soil enriched with organic matter, with an ideal pH range of 5.8 to 6.3. A mix of loam, compost, and perlite or sand will provide the needed drainage and nutrients.
Repotting
Himalayan Geranium typically requires repotting every 1-2 years to prevent becoming root-bound and to replenish its soil with a fresh, nutrient-rich mix.
Humidity & Misting
Himalayan Geranium thrives in moderate humidity levels, generally around 40-60%, making it well-suited for the average home environment without special humidity adjustments.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Provide bright, indirect light and occasional watering.
- Outdoor
  Plant in partial shade, shelter from strong winds.
Life cycle
Geranium wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety', commonly known as Buxton's Blue, begins its life cycle when seeds are sown in moist, well-drained soil during the cooler periods of spring or fall. Germination occurs with adequate moisture and temperatures, leading to the development of a rosette of leaves at the soil surface. As the plant matures, it produces sturdy stems and deeply lobed leaves, eventually sending up flower stalks that bear the characteristic blue flowers with white centers. After pollination, typically by bees or butterflies, the flowers develop into beak-like seed capsules that disperse seeds when ripe, allowing for self-sowing. The plant experiences a period of dormancy during the winter, where above-ground foliage dies back, but the plant's root system remains alive underground. With the return of warmer weather in spring, Buxton's Blue resumes growth, completing its perennial cycle.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Spring-early summer
- Geranium wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety', commonly known as Cranesbill, is typically propagated through stem cuttings during the active growing season, which is spring to early summer. To propagate Cranesbill cuttings, a gardener would select healthy, non-flowering stems and cut them to a length of about 4-6 inches (10-15 centimeters). The cut end should be dipped in rooting hormone to encourage root growth and then planted in a mixture of peat and perlite or a well-draining potting soil. The cuttings need to be kept in a warm environment with indirect light and consistently moist soil until roots have developed, which usually takes a few weeks. After rooting, the plants can be transplanted into individual pots before being moved to their final garden location.