For many people, the name geranium conjures up pictures of neat borders, hanging baskets, and clay pots filled with large clusters of brilliant red, white or pink blossoms. True geraniums are hardy woodland plants with a graceful, mounded form which can be grown in shade or sun. The flowers are small, one half to two inches across. They come in a wide range of colors from deep purple blue to pale whitish pink. Most of the flowers are suffused with darker veins, a distinct characteristic of true geraniums.
Plants can be as short as four inches or as tall as two feet depending on the species.
Some are spreading ground covers, good for rock gardens. Others go well at the front of a flower border where the rounded form looks best. There are over four hundred species of geraniums, but only about thirty are cultivated and available to home gardeners. Local nurseries and mail-order firms which specialize in perennials can provide gardeners a choice of hardy geraniums. A clump-forming perennial, it is ideal for partially sunny locations.