Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' (Bevan's bigroot geranium) care

Light

Picture the indirect light an east-facing window gives mid-morning — that's the brightness geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety' grows fastest in. Exceptionally adaptable, from full sun to fairly deep shade, and one of the few geraniums that flowers and covers ground well in dry shade under trees. Sun gives more flowers and stronger autumn colour; shade gives lusher foliage. You'll know it's right when new leaves come out the same size and colour as the established ones. Smaller, paler new leaves = move closer to the window.

Watering

Aim for when the top 4-5 cm of soil is dry; weekly to establish, seldom afterwards for geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety', but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Highly drought-tolerant once rooted, drawing on its thick fleshy rhizomes. Water through the first season, then only in extreme drought. It copes with dry, root-filled soil under trees and dislikes constant wetness.

Soil and pot

Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' grows best in adaptable, well-drained loam; tolerates poor and dry soils. Grows in almost any reasonably drained soil from acid to alkaline, including poor, stony and dry ground beneath shrubs and trees. Best avoided only in permanently waterlogged sites. No enrichment needed. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' sits happiest at around Low to moderate, ambient outdoor humidity and -29 to 30°C (-20 to 86°F). A hardy, semi-evergreen ground-cover perennial with no humidity requirements. Its aromatic foliage shrugs off most conditions; good airflow keeps the dense mat healthy. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety' sparingly. Essentially self-sufficient. An occasional spring mulch of compost is plenty; it flowers and covers ground reliably even in poor soil without feeding. Avoid rich fertiliser, which is unnecessary and softens growth. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Spreading beyond bounds — Surface rhizomes can creep into neighbours over time. Lift and pull back the easily detached rhizomes in spring or autumn to keep colonies in check; it is shallow-rooted and simple to control.
• Tired foliage after flowering — Leaves can look worn in late summer. Shear over the whole patch to remove spent flowers and old leaves; fresh aromatic foliage quickly regrows.
• Sparse flowering in deep shade — Heavy shade favours leaf over flower. Accept it as a foliage ground cover there, or site in more light for a fuller magenta display and better autumn colour.
• Crown rot in wet soil — Permanently waterlogged ground rots the rhizomes. Plant in any free-draining soil and avoid sites that stay saturated through winter.

Propagation

Extremely easy: detach rooted rhizome pieces or divide clumps at almost any time in the growing season and replant. Stem and rhizome cuttings root readily. Vegetative propagation keeps 'Bevan's Variety' true to its deep-magenta colour. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' is mildly toxic to pets. This is a cultivar of true Geranium (G. macrorrhizum), a genus the ASPCA does not individually list as toxic or non-toxic. It is easily confused with the ASPCA-listed toxic 'geranium', Pelargonium species (toxic principles geraniol and linalool). Lacking an affirmative ASPCA non-toxic listing, treat with caution and verify with a vet rather than assuming pet-safe. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' watering schedule
• Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' light requirements
• Best soil mix for geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety'
• Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' fertilizing guide
• When to repot geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety'
• How to propagate geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety'
• Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' growth rate & size
• Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' cold hardiness
• Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' temperature & humidity
• Is geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety' toxic to cats?
• Is geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety' toxic to dogs?
• Getting geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' qualifies for 8 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
• Best fragrant houseplants — Indoor plants with scented flowers or aromatic foliage — greenery you can smell, selected from our care library.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

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Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' is also commonly called Bevan's bigroot geranium.

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