Geums are a wonderful group of plants in the rose family with many varieties in shades of red, orange, pink, and yellow blossoms. They make a great addition to the pollinator bed, and their long stems make them perfect for the cutting garden.
These pretty flowering perennials are not picky about soil, although fertile, loamy, and well-drained is their preference. They tolerate full sun as well as partial shade and have excellent cold tolerance.
These plants have attractive foliage that grows in a basal rosette. Their blooms can be single or semi-double-petaled, and some have ruffled or frilly petals. A central ring of flashy stamens is eye-catching for humans and pollinators. Let’s look at some stunning geum varieties that would be perfect for your garden!
‘Blazing Sunset’
‘Blazing Sunset’ is a brilliant red geum variety with a semi-double petal form. The ruffled petals encircle a ring of deep gold stamens, forming a dark eye. Fuzzy, toothy leaves add interest in terms of foliage, and their long stems are perfect for floral arrangements.
This is a fast grower, and great for filling in spaces between larger plants. These plants are deer and rabbit-resistant. This red variety will attract butterflies and some native bees. They resemble small roses and bloom for a long period from May to July.
TEMPO ‘Rose’
The Tempo series is a product of breeding by Terra Nova Nurseries. The improvements made in this series led to enhanced foliage and flowers, including a longer blooming season. Not only do they flower for an extended period, but they can also re-bloom later in the season!
Tempo ‘Rose’ is a truly unique variety. The blooms are stunning peachy-pink, supported by deep purple stems. The semi-double petals are different shades and face downward initially, turning their heads up slightly as they open.
‘Prinses Juliana’
The electric orange tones of ‘Prinses Juliana’ light up the garden or cut flower arrangement. The highly decorative, semi-double blooms appear in late spring and last into the summer months.
These are sturdy plants with few issues. They are mostly pest and disease-resistant, although sawfly larvae can be an issue. In hotter climates, plant these in a spot with afternoon shade.
‘Totally Tangerine’
‘Totally Tangerine’ is a huge producer of beautiful, single-petal form blooms in a wonderful, warm shade of deep apricot. Their single petal form makes the eye of yellow stamens appear prominently. This variety produces an extra bountiful amount of flowers.
‘Totally Tangerine’ prefers a climate with cool summers. These plants like average, consistent moisture to do their best flowering.
‘Mrs. J. Bradshaw’
This geum variety is more of a warm climate lover and grows well as far south as Zone 9. It’s also a winner of the noteworthy Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. In warm climates where the temperatures don’t drop below 0°F (-18°C), this variety is evergreen.
So what makes this variety an award winner? The blossoms are amazing! Fiery red and semi-double petaled, they open wide to reveal a pale green eye encircled with yellow stamens. Simply stunning!
‘Pretticoats Peach’
Another creation from Terra Nova Nurseries, the Pretticoats series features bi-colored petals with highly frilled edges. They also have a longer blooming habit, and flowers that face outward rather than downward.
Pretticoats Peach has the frilliest, prettiest lemon-yellow blooms with deep pink edges. The resulting, overall tone is a delightful peachy-pink. The ring of stamens is prominent and dark with a yellow eye.
‘Lady Stratheden’
This lady has excellent heat and cold tolerance and is appropriate for planting in Zones 4-10. ‘Lady Stratheden’ is a vision in gold. The double-petal form blooms are both simple and intriguing.
Though the petals are the same shade, their depth and mass make the inside of the flower appear darker. The green eye is slightly visible, and yellow stamens mix in prettily with the smaller inner petals.
‘Nonna’
The name ‘Nonna’ is Italian for grandmother. Clearly, the person who named this geum variety was very fond of their granny. It’s breathtaking! ‘Nonna’ has a basal rosette of wrinkled, toothy, deep green foliage that adds great texture to the flower bed.
‘Nonna’s’ blooms are pale yellow with brushstrokes of deep coral around the margins. They are semi-double and lightly ruffled with an orange eye.
‘Mai Tai’
‘Mai Tai’ hails from the Cocktail Series by Brent Horvath from Intrinsic Perennial Gardens. The series highlights strong and sturdy geum varieties with extra vibrant flowers. They are huge bloomers, with each plant able to produce more than 100 flowers over three weeks.
‘Mai Tai’ has a tropical vibe with frilly petals in shades of peach with fuschia veining and margins. The stems are long and tower above a lush rosette of bright green leaves.
‘Sunrise’
Like a shining beam of sunlight, this sweet geum variety will light up the garden. The ruffled, golden petals are semi-double form, and a perfect ring of yellow stamens match. A small green eye stands out coolly amidst the gold.
‘Sunrise’ has great heat and cold tolerance, indicated for Zones 4-9. Bees will flock to the flashy blooms. For heavier flowering, hold back slightly on watering during bloom time and deadhead regularly.
‘Red Dragon’
If you want to see just how flashy these perennials can be, check out ‘Red Dragon.’ These double-petaled beauties are glowing red and exceptionally eye-catching. A sprinkle of stamens in yellow and orange peek out from between the inner petals.
The scarlet blossoms grow on compact plants that are perfect for bordering your beds. This one is evergreen in warmer climates, and the long stems make these spectacular for floral arrangements.
‘Koi’
This dwarf geum variety tops out at about nine inches tall, making it a wonderful border plant. A low rosette of flocked, toothy leaves is attractive year-round in warm climates.
‘Koi’ has simple, single-petaled flowers in the brightest shade of orange I can imagine. Five perfectly formed petals surround a dazzling crown of golden stamens. These remind me a bit of California poppies and look amazing in a mass planting.
‘Flames of Passion’
This geum will make you feel passionate about trying out this pretty little plant in all its fabulous varieties and forms. ‘Flames of Passion’ is compact and known for its profuse flowering habit. It has an attractive mound of lightly fuzzy, bright green, toothy foliage at the base.
‘Flames of Passion’ produces red blooms, but I imagine you guessed that already. No other color embodies passion in quite the same way. The flowers are semi-double and wine red with an eye-popping yellow fringe of stamens around a light green eye.
‘Double Bloody Mary’
This showy variety has an infamous name, but don’t be afraid; ‘Double Bloody Mary’ won’t hurt you. Named ‘double’ for the fluffy mass of petals, this geum is highly decorative. A green eye and ring of yellow stamens are fully visible despite the mass of petals.
This beauty makes a wonderful addition to the butterfly garden. The bright vermilion will beckon to species of all kinds. To promote bountiful blooms, don’t forget to deadhead!
‘Marmalade’
This geum is less showy than other varieties but makes an ideal addition to the woodland or cottage garden. It is a charming plant with low-growing, dense foliage that forms a carpet of green when planted in a grouping.
The flowers are simple and single-petaled. At the top of dark purple stems, the apricot-colored flowers nod toward the foliage demurely.
‘Mango Lassi’
‘Mango Lassi’ is a delightful cultivar with an extra long bloom time. You may see blooms from this one starting in late spring and some still hanging around in early fall.
The blooms on this beauty are exactly what you’d expect from a mango. An ombre of yellow and orange has a hint of red at the margins. The stems are light brownish red, and the foliage is bright green. Such a cheerful geum!
‘Alabama Slammer’
‘Alabama Slammer’ has all the brilliant color and none of the cloying sweetness characteristic of its namesake. This is another member of the Cocktail Series of hybrids. This series has excellent pest and disease resistance in its breeding.
Bright yellow and coral flowers bob lightly at the end of slender, brown stems. The foliage is low-growing and bright green, with a toothy texture that looks great, mingled with smoother leaf types.
‘Coppertone’
This pretty plant has less spectacular flowers than others, but it has excellent heat tolerance. For those gardening in Zone 9 this is your best bet. It blooms April- June, and planting it in partial shade will help it bloom longer in hot climates.
The foliage is green, and toothy, and forms a low rosette on the ground. Brown stems support brown buds, then open to adorable, single-petal, apricot blooms. ‘Coppertone’ has a subtle beauty that is perfect for woodland and cottage gardens.
‘Custard Tart’
‘Custard Tart’ is another unassuming and subtle variety with a lovely simplicity. The lush, semi-evergreen foliage makes a beautiful border in your woodland garden. Geums are perfectly happy in partial shade, especially in the afternoon.
The foliage is toothy and green, as is standard. Unlike many other types, ‘Custard Tart has green stems that support its delicately nodding flowers. The blossoms are custard yellow and single, with wide petals that overlap.
‘Roger’s Rebellion’
With a name like ‘Roger’s Rebellion,’ you might not expect these flowers to be so dainty and pretty. But they are! Brownish-red stems rise from green foliage and spread out a touch overhead.
When the buds open, the blossoms are raspberry-colored with a bright yellow ring of stamens in the center. They gradually fade to light pink with a cream undertone, over time.
‘Scarlet Tempest’
‘Scarlet Tempest’ is a huge bloomer with fire engine red flowers. It’s a sterile hybrid, so it won’t re-seed in the garden. The petals are semi-double and heavily ruffled, making these wonderfully fluffy flowers.
This variety blooms prolifically in the spring and can have a smaller, repeat season in the fall when things cool off. It’s semi-evergreen in warmer climates and deciduous farther north. Denoted for Zones 4-8.
‘Leonards Variety’
‘Leonard’s Variety’ has a great reputation for being a long bloomer. It makes a wonderful border or addition to the meadow garden. The low-growing rosettes of foliage are present year-round in warmer climates and last beyond the first frost in cooler climates.
This variety has reddish-brown stems that support coppery-pink flowers. The flowers hang downward slightly. These plants prefer soil that is moist but well-drained.
‘East of Eden’
‘East of Eden’ comes from the Cambrian nursery of the same name. The breeder, Roger Proud, has the largest known collection of these semi-evergreens. It’s a lovely, compact variety bred for its softer color palette.
The blooms are semi-double-petaled and bell-shaped. Many cream-colored petals have bubblegum pink accents. A circle of rather long stamens lies in the center around a green eye.
TEMPO ‘Coral’
Another from Terra Nova Nurseries in the TEMPO collection, ‘Coral’ brings major blooming power. The TEMPO collection is a great producer of a ton of flowers. They re-bloom throughout the summer, too!
‘Coral’ has shorter than average stems that stand up well to weather. The bounty of flowers is coral-colored and double-petaled. These bring a ton of color to your borders and beds.
‘Firestorm’
‘Firestorm’ is an improved hybrid that has a compact growth habit and is a heavy producer of bright orange blooms. Its small size means it has plenty of energy to put into forming flowers. They begin a deeper, reddish-orange and fade over time to a yellow-orange.
The leaves are less toothy and more lobed for a smoother texture. These plants propagate well from seeds, and you can directly sow them right in the soil.
‘Bell Bank’
While not as floriferous, I prefer the more subtle varieties, which this is one of. Bred in Scotland, ‘Bell Bank’ has more delicate foliage and a more genteel flowering habit.
The stems and buds of ‘Bell Bank’ are pinkish-brown. They hold bell-shaped blooms that nod toward the ground. As they raise their heads, the flowers fade to a soft, powdery pink.
‘Queen of Orange’
Last but not least, ‘Queen of Orange’ is a colorful and cheerful variety. The dark green, lightly fuzzy leaves create a perfect backdrop for its flowers.
This compact variety blooms in bright orange with a crown of golden stamens around a green and yellow eye. It’s flashy and fun and makes an excellent border plant.
