Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
arbo_retum

Current Thoughts re: Rozanne Geranium, and bi-color Coreopsis

arbo_retum
9 years ago

A few yrs ago, many GWers felt that Rozanne was short lived. Is that still people's experience?

Also, the coreopsis w/ eye- are they really not hardy in z.5?
Thx much.

Comments (15)

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    9 years ago

    I've had G. 'Rozeanne' for enough years now that it certainly could never be called short lived.

  • gardenweed_z6a
    9 years ago

    Ditto laceyvail.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    9 years ago

    My first two Rozeanne's died their first winters, the one I have now has wintered well, so far. I'm still vexed about the Roseanne/Jolly Bee mess, IMO they ARE two separate varieties, grown side by side the foliage is defiantly different, one sprawls more and the leaves are lighter in color. Mind you I'm wondering which one is which now, my surviving Rozeanne is more compact than my Jolly Bee and the one I bought as Rozeanne last year looks exactly the same as my Jolly Bee. Flowers look pretty much the same on both varieties, haven't bothered to exam closely tho.

    Annette

  • sunnyborders
    9 years ago

    Have planted a number of 'Rozanne' geraniums in various locations.

    It's definitely long-lived and long-blooming here.

    The only problem is that it is a flopper which I find quite a challenge to stake.

    It provides great on-going colour, however, sprawled on the remains of tall summer perennials which have been partially cut down.

  • sandyslopes z5 n. UT
    9 years ago

    Geranium Rozanne, I planted my first one in '07 and it's still going strong. I've added more since then and they all come back and get bigger every year until they reach what must be their mature size. I plant them where I want them to sprawl through other plants.

    I haven't tried every Coreopsis but did try a few over the years. The only one that's come back for me is Zagreb.

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    9 years ago

    Don't thing of it as a flopper (negative term) but as a twiner (positive term). It looks gorgeous twining into surrounding plants, and also twining over a carpet of very flat groundcover thymes. I find Rozeanne a unique perennial that serves a purpose no other perennial can serve.

  • arbo_retum
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm so glad to hear this about rozanne's returnability. I'm planning on a flat of her next spring to fill in all around. there is a lot of yellow foliage in these gardens( even moreso since returning from Broken Arrow nursery w/ 33 new woodies, many of which are yellow!) and I love pairing it w/ blue.

    I'm so surprised no one is growing bi-color coreopsis?

  • sunnyborders
    9 years ago

    An example (as per above) of how useful 'Rozanne' is in providing perennial plant flower colour later in the growing season.

    Today:

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    9 years ago

    'Rozanne' hasn't survived a winter here though I tried twice; 'Jolly Bee' has done fine.

    I have an eyed Coreposis which I couldn't find a tag for (I'll look again) that is on its third season I think. It seems to be fine in its well-drained spot.
    {{gwi:267949}}From late August - September, 2014

  • Campanula UK Z8
    9 years ago

    I spent far too much money and invested hopes on coreopsis until even myself, a deluded optimist, was forced to conclude that these wispy nonentities are better in other people's gardens. Somewhere, in the album of shame (an attempt at aversion therapy) there are pics of coreopsis, every one of which is a sad and shrivelled mess.
    Rozanne, on the other hand.....it's only fault is its complete ubiquity....so much so that I have temporarily gone over to the pinks with G.wallichianum Syabru, the wonderful (for me) Patricia and a couple of the glorious Orkney bred psilostemon hybrids such as Red Admiral and Dragon Heart.....but Rozanne, in the words of a famous Austrian meathead, 'I'll be back.'

  • arbo_retum
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    What about A.T.Johnson(my fav, TRUE pink) and Mrs.Kendall Clarke? Very hard to find the latter in the u.s. but I am so enamored by the translucence of the color.

  • sunnyborders
    9 years ago

    I've used perennial geraniums in the past but grew wary of their self-seeding. Some of them literally moved around a garden from year to year.

    Rozanne (actually it seems 'Gerwat') is a sterile interspecific hybrid (also Plant Breeders Rights Protected).

    The previous likely best blue, 'Johnson's Blue' is also an interspecific hybrid, as is 'A.T. Johnson', etc., above and I'm guessing they're also sterile.

    It's very clear from GW that there's lots of perennial gardening styles within the same hardiness zone.

    Personally, I don't want perennials to pick their own location within a garden (unless perhaps to tell me where they'll grow best).

    The fact that Rozanne definitely stays put is another plus for such an excellent Geranium cultivar.

  • grossepointe
    9 years ago

    Hi - After reading all the positive posts about Rozanne, I bought several this season - planting them in either early June or late May. At first they looked fine of course and I was hoping that they would really look great by the end of summer, early fall. But they look awful - surely not dead, but no blooms and just lots of long stems. Is this typical for the first year? Can I hope that in their second season they will be better? They've had plenty of water and plenty of light - just kind of disappointing right now.

  • pitimpinai
    9 years ago

    grosspointe,
    I don't recall how my G. Rozanne behaved the first year since it's been at least 10 years since I planted the first one. But it is normal for perennials to take at least one season to establish. As long as the plants get plenty of sun (although Rozanne does very well in partial sun), moisture and get good drainage, they should do better and better in later years.

    I planted 6 Rozanne. I lost two but it's because their neighbors had crowded them out. The remaining ones are doing very well. I love the sprawling habit and its color that deepens as fall approaches.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    9 years ago

    I removed the Geranium that I had, that I believed to be 'Rozanne'. I think it was mislabeled as something else, but it certainly looked like everyone's Rozanne. I was just ready to get rid of a lot in the spring and that made it onto my list.

    I have only one coreopsis left. I bought 'Sienna Sunset' which is not the bi color you asked about, but is in that later series of cultivars. I'm potting it up to give away. Just have not found an application for it that I'm wild about. It has been hardy though and came back fine after last year's hard winter.