Geum rivale - PURPLE AVENS (WATER AVENS)
Native wetland avens, that likes moisture and prefer cooler areas, but can grow in average soils, if the spot doesn't dry out.
Smaller drooping flowers with purple calyxes and short cream-pink petals.
Can be used as groundcover in moist soils.
Quite ornamental plant and parent plant of several cultivar with bigger flowers.
Blooming Time: May-June, with sporadic reblooming later on
Size: usually about 1-1.5' tall x 0.5-1" wide, upright clumps, majority of the leaves stays at the bottom
USDA Zones: 3 to 6/7
Culture: sun, half sun, half shade, adaptable to various soils (neutral, slightly acidic, alkaline), can grow in soils with average (medium) moisture (but choose a spot that doesn't dry out easily). Consistent moisture is preferred, as well as cooler spot in the garden (like northern slope, some light afternoon shade, sunken garden, close to water bodies).
Moisture Needs: medium, medium-moist, moist to wet (saturated soil)
Origin: Geum rivale is circumboreal plant (grows around the Globe in cooler areas of North America, Europe and Asia). Can be found where more moisture is present - in fens, bogs, marshes, soggy meadows, stream sides, pond edges, light damp deciduous woods. Native to Illinois, Indiana, Ohion, Pennsylvania, most of Canada and also to the cooler mountainous areas of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and northwestern states.
See the BONAP distribution map.
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes / yes
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: offers pollen and nectar to bumblebees, honeybees, long-beaked Syrphid flies and Sap beetlesand. Butterfly can be occasional visitor too.
Attracts Hummingbirds: no
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 4" deep perennial pot
Plant combinations: Best used in cooler areas, and somewhat moist spots, or where the soil doesn't dry out easily (or can be watered in summer drought).
Perfect for water garden, pond garden, wet edges, naturalizing in moist meadows.
Good companions are plants that like or tolerate more moisture like Amsonia, Asclepias incarnata, Baptisia, Brunnera, Caltha palustris, Chelone, Eupatorium, hardy Geranium hybrids (with blue flowers), Helianthus angustifolius and hybrids, Hemerocallis, native herbaceous Hibiscus and hybrids, Iris (I. sibirica, I. x lousiana, I. versicolor, I. ensata, I. pseudata, I. virginica), Lobelia, Lysimachia, Mimulus, Packera aurea, Penstemon calycosus (and hybrids = with dark leaves and purplish flowers), Persicaria amplexicaulis, Phlox paniculata, Phlox maculata, Physostegia, Primula, Rudbeckia laciniata (better shorter cultivars), Sanquisorba, Spigelia marilandica, Thalictrum, Veronicastrum and grasses and sedges like Carex, Chasmantium, Deschmapsia, Hystrix, Hakonechloa and even some ferns that tolerate some sun.
Picture copyright : Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, Commons Wikipedia
Geum rivale - PURPLE AVENS (WATER AVENS)
Native wetland avens, that likes moisture and prefer cooler areas, but can grow in average soils, if the spot doesn't dry out.
Smaller drooping flowers with purple calyxes and short cream-pink petals.
Can be used as groundcover in moist soils.
Quite ornamental plant and parent plant of several cultivar with bigger flowers.
Blooming Time: May-June, with sporadic reblooming later on
Size: usually about 1-1.5' tall x 0.5-1" wide, upright clumps, majority of the leaves stays at the bottom
USDA Zones: 3 to 6/7
Culture: sun, half sun, half shade, adaptable to various soils (neutral, slightly acidic, alkaline), can grow in soils with average (medium) moisture (but choose a spot that doesn't dry out easily). Consistent moisture is preferred, as well as cooler spot in the garden (like northern slope, some light afternoon shade, sunken garden, close to water bodies).
Moisture Needs: medium, medium-moist, moist to wet (saturated soil)
Origin: Geum rivale is circumboreal plant (grows around the Globe in cooler areas of North America, Europe and Asia). Can be found where more moisture is present - in fens, bogs, marshes, soggy meadows, stream sides, pond edges, light damp deciduous woods. Native to Illinois, Indiana, Ohion, Pennsylvania, most of Canada and also to the cooler mountainous areas of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and northwestern states.
See the BONAP distribution map.
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes / yes
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: offers pollen and nectar to bumblebees, honeybees, long-beaked Syrphid flies and Sap beetlesand. Butterfly can be occasional visitor too.
Attracts Hummingbirds: no
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 4" deep perennial pot
Plant combinations: Best used in cooler areas, and somewhat moist spots, or where the soil doesn't dry out easily (or can be watered in summer drought).
Perfect for water garden, pond garden, wet edges, naturalizing in moist meadows.
Good companions are plants that like or tolerate more moisture like Amsonia, Asclepias incarnata, Baptisia, Brunnera, Caltha palustris, Chelone, Eupatorium, hardy Geranium hybrids (with blue flowers), Helianthus angustifolius and hybrids, Hemerocallis, native herbaceous Hibiscus and hybrids, Iris (I. sibirica, I. x lousiana, I. versicolor, I. ensata, I. pseudata, I. virginica), Lobelia, Lysimachia, Mimulus, Packera aurea, Penstemon calycosus (and hybrids = with dark leaves and purplish flowers), Persicaria amplexicaulis, Phlox paniculata, Phlox maculata, Physostegia, Primula, Rudbeckia laciniata (better shorter cultivars), Sanquisorba, Spigelia marilandica, Thalictrum, Veronicastrum and grasses and sedges like Carex, Chasmantium, Deschmapsia, Hystrix, Hakonechloa and even some ferns that tolerate some sun.
Picture copyright : Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, Commons Wikipedia