New Zealand Geranium: A Lesser-Known Geranium Worth Considering
If you’re a geranium enthusiast always on the lookout for something different, you might have stumbled across Geranium retrorsum, commonly known as New Zealand geranium. This lesser-known member of the geranium family brings a touch of Southern Hemisphere charm to gardens, though it remains somewhat of a mystery in North American horticulture.
What is New Zealand Geranium?
New Zealand geranium (Geranium retrorsum) is a perennial forb – that’s gardener-speak for a soft-stemmed plant that comes back year after year without woody growth. Like its geranium cousins, it produces the characteristic five-petaled flowers that make this plant family so beloved by gardeners worldwide.
Originally from New Zealand (hence the name!), this plant has made its way to parts of the United States, where it now grows wild in California, Hawaii, and Oregon. It’s what botanists call a naturalized species – one that’s settled in and reproduces on its own without human help.
Should You Plant New Zealand Geranium?
Here’s where things get a bit tricky. While New Zealand geranium isn’t listed as invasive or noxious, there’s surprisingly little information available about its cultivation requirements, growth habits, or garden performance. This makes it a bit of a wild card for home gardeners.
Growing Conditions and Care
Unfortunately, specific growing information for Geranium retrorsum is quite limited. As a member of the geranium family, it likely shares some characteristics with its relatives, but without solid cultivation data, it’s difficult to provide reliable growing advice.
What we do know:
- It’s a perennial that should return each year
- As a forb, it has soft, non-woody stems
- It has established populations on the West Coast, suggesting it can adapt to various conditions
Consider Native Alternatives
Given the limited information about New Zealand geranium’s cultivation and potential garden impact, you might want to consider native geranium species instead. North America has some fantastic native geraniums that are well-documented, easier to grow, and provide known benefits to local wildlife:
- Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) for eastern regions
- Sticky geranium (Geranium viscosissimum) for western mountain areas
- Richardson’s geranium (Geranium richardsonii) for cooler climates
These native options offer reliable performance, support local ecosystems, and come with plenty of cultivation guidance from fellow gardeners and extension services.
The Bottom Line
While New Zealand geranium might sound intriguing, the lack of available growing information makes it a challenging choice for most gardeners. Unless you’re an experienced gardener who enjoys experimenting with unusual species, you’ll likely have better success with well-documented native geraniums that provide similar beauty with known benefits to local wildlife and pollinators.
If you’re set on trying something unique in your geranium collection, consider reaching out to botanical gardens or plant societies – they might have experience with this lesser-known species and can offer guidance that isn’t readily available in typical gardening resources.
