Geranium pyrenaicum - Bill Wallis

Small flowers, enormous stamina. Geranium pyrenaicum ‘Bill Wallis’ makes a loose, billowing mound studded with vivid violet-purple blooms from late spring well into fall. Each flower is only about an inch across, but the color is so electric—and the plant produces so many—that it reads as a shimmering purple cloud rather than a collection of tiny dots.

This hardy cranesbill grows about 12–18 inches tall and spreads through neighboring plants with an easy, informal grace. It is particularly good along a path, under open shrubs, in a cottage garden, or threading through larger perennials whose bare ankles could use a little camouflage. The rounded, lobed leaves create a soft green base, while bees and other small pollinators keep returning to the open flowers.

‘Bill Wallis’ accepts sun or part shade and is notably adaptable, though it looks best with some water during long dry spells. It reseeds freely where happy; this is delightful if you want a naturalistic drift and less delightful if every seedling must submit paperwork. Deadhead before seeds mature to keep it contained, or let selected plants scatter themselves and edit the results later. A midsummer cutback refreshes tired foliage and can prompt another flush. Meet more easygoing, long-blooming ground-layer plants in our Geranium collection.