Hardy geranium id

Ilikeplants

I have a couple of hardy geranium but anyone know their names. I’m guessing that the dark green, large leafy one with darks specks on it in the background is a common weedy one or wargrave pink? It takes over and needs a bit of force getting rid of it. The light green one with droopy pale pink is less vigorous but still spreads. 

And then in this pic, is this the same weedy geranium but the leaves are just a lot smaller? I was trying to use geranium as a ground cover but it might be too much, too vigorous and I should just pull out and mulch instead?

Ilikeplants

Forgot to add the pic of the last one.

Ilikeplants

Close up of the pale pink one.

Dovefromabove

The pale pink one looks like G. macrorrhizum ‘Ingwersen’s Variety’. Does yours have very aromatic leaves?

https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/97812/Geranium-macrorrhizum-Ingwersen-s-Variety/Details

Ilikeplants

@Dovefromabove yes the leaves are aromatic. You could be right, also called big root cranesbill, it’s spread a lot for me so I might have to get rid of some, no ground left to direct sow anything. I can’t believe how much they sell for. 

So do you think the dark green one is the same plant in both the first and third picture?

Dovefromabove

I have ‘ingwersens’ ... I take offshoots and pot them up so that I can refresh the bed every few years ... it’s a great plant for difficult spots, especially the dry shade we have here. 

I don’t know about the other one ... we’ll need to see the flowers. 

B3

The other one looks like a pink one with really deep roots . Self seeds everywhere, gets into the middle of everything. I hope it isn't 😊

Topbird

The darker green one definitely looks like one of the Geraniums oxoianums. They can be a bit thuggish and the bright pink of Wargrave Pink is not for me - although I do use it in a couple of really difficult spots in the garden where summat not great is better than nowt.

I also have a pretty oxoianum which is a very pretty pale shell pink. Still don't really like the leaves but it's a good ground coverer and the colour goes with lots of other things.

Think Dove's ID of the other one is correct. If you feel the need to control it I'd either do as she does or replace it with something else. I think maccrorhizum "White Ness" is well behaved or I really like Geranium Biokovo "Cantabrigiense".

Ilikeplants

That’s the thing about the dark one, more leaves than flowers. Leaves can get as big as my palm. Possibly thuggish, I didn’t know they seeded, thought just rhizomes. I’m going to try and get rid of the majority of it, leave two or three patches for bunny food only. I don’t think the pink flowers are anything to write about.

I think the ingwersen is ok for flowers especially in difficult spots so I’ll keep that. Just reduce and refresh as you say. 

I also have a Rozanne, which I bought. That’s slower growing and less cover as it dies down in winter.

Good to give them all names and decide their future.

B3

The one I'm thinking of doesn't have  rhizomes, no smell, deep vertical roots. It might be wargrave
The maccrorhizums spread too but they're easy to pull out and I like the smell.

Ilikeplants

Who would have thought geraniums were thuggish but there. I think I just need to clear back to defined patches instead of actual ground cover. Easier said than done.