Geranium cinereum

Perennial of the Geraniaceae family, Geranium cinereum is native to the Pyrenees and northern Spain, where it colonizes rockeries, limestone screes, and high-altitude lawns between approximately 1,500 and 2,800 meters. It seeks well-drained, stony substrates in full exposure.

It forms small, dense, compact cushions, 10 to 20 cm in height, with evergreen gray-green foliage, finely cut into rounded, slightly tomentose lobes, which gives it its epithet. This tight cushion habit is one of its most appreciated qualities for rock gardens.

The flowers, carried on slender stems well above the foliage, are large relative to the size of the plant. The petals, pale lilac-pink to almost white depending on the individual, are traversed by a dense network of pink-purple veins that branch across their entire surface, creating a very fine vegetal lace effect. The center, pale green to yellowish, bears stamens with prominently visible golden yellow anthers.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August. In cultivation, it occurs from May to July, sometimes with a slight resurgence in autumn.

It requires a very well-drained soil, poor to moderately rich, in full sun. It tolerates limestone and withstands winter cold well as long as stagnant moisture is avoided. It is one of the species of the genus best adapted to alpine rock gardens.