Geranium sanguineum var. striatum (bloody crane's-bill)

Japanese name: ゲラニウム サングイネウム ストリアツム
Scientific name: Geranium sanguineum var. striatum

[Overview]
A perennial about 20 cm tall.
It has a thick underground rhizome.
The stems are slender and hard, covered with upward-pointing hairs, ascending or erect, and branch freely to form a bushy clump.
The leaves are simple and alternate, kidney-shaped, 3–6 cm wide, palmately divided into 7 lobes almost to the base, with long hairs on both surfaces or only on the underside.
They have long leaf stalks.
One to 3 flowers are borne in umbel-like clusters at the tips of long stalks arising from the leaf axils.
The flowers are 5-petaled, 2.5–4 cm across, pale pink with darker veins.
The flower stalks and calyx have glandular hairs and are sticky.
The fruit is a capsule that splits into 5 and bursts open when ripe.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or by root cuttings.
It prefers sun to partial shade and calcareous soil with neutral pH that is well drained and retains moisture well.
It is hardy and very cold-tolerant.
It dislikes heat, humidity and direct summer sunlight, so move potted plants in summer to a cool, airy place in partial shade.
For plants in the ground, it is good to plant them under deciduous trees or similar.
In warm regions, avoid places that receive afternoon sun, especially western sun in summer.
To prevent the soil temperature from rising, it may be planted on a mound of soil about 20 cm high.
In cold regions, if the conditions suit it, it grows well without much care.
Avoid cold winter winds.
For potted plants, in spring and autumn water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Apply slow-release chemical fertilizer rich in phosphate and potash as base fertilizer, and in spring and autumn give liquid fertilizer diluted 2000 times once a month.
The center of an old clump dies back, so it is good to divide it once every 3 years.
Pests and diseases include soft rot, powdery mildew and spider mites.

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