Geranium sanguineum var. striatum (Striped bloody cranesbill) care

Light

Most houseplants will scorch where geranium sanguineum var. striatum thrives. Give it the windowsill you'd otherwise leave empty because everything else burned there. Full sun produces the densest mat, heaviest flowering and strongest autumn colour. Tolerates light shade but becomes lankier and flowers less. A plant moved abruptly from low light to direct sun bleaches in 48 hours — always acclimatise over a week.

Watering

Aim for water when top 3-5 cm of soil is dry; drought-tolerant once established for geranium sanguineum var. striatum, 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. Water consistently during establishment. Mature plants withstand dry conditions well; sharp drainage matters more than regular watering, as wet soil rots the crown.

Soil and pot

Geranium sanguineum var. striatum grows best in well-drained, moderately fertile soil; tolerates poor, stony ground. Thrives on free-draining loam, chalk, sand and gravel. Avoid heavy, waterlogged clay. Well suited to gravel gardens, banks and rockeries. 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 sanguineum var. striatum sits happiest at around 40-70% humidity and -25 to 27°C (-13 to 80°F). An outdoor hardy perennial unconcerned by humidity; prefers dry air and open airflow that suppress mildew. No humidity management required. 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 sanguineum var. striatum sparingly. Light feeder. A thin spring compost mulch or single balanced feed suffices; over-feeding produces floppy growth and fewer of the veined pink flowers. 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 sanguineum var. striatum in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Powdery mildew — White film during hot, dry or crowded spells. Improve airflow, water at soil level, and shear back affected growth.
• Crown rot in wet soil — Yellowing and collapse follow waterlogging. Plant only in sharply drained soil and avoid overwatering.
• Sparse flowering in shade — Insufficient sun yields a loose, shy-flowering mat. Relocate to a fully sunny position.
• Tired late-summer foliage — The mat can look spent after the main flush. Shear back by a third to renew leaves and prompt rebloom.

Propagation

Divide clumps in spring or autumn; this keeps the variety true. Basal cuttings in spring root easily. As a botanical variety it can be seed-raised but garden seedlings vary, so division is preferred. 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 sanguineum var. striatum is mildly toxic to pets. The ASPCA 'Geranium' / 'Scented Geranium' toxic listings refer to Pelargonium species (geraniol and linalool), not the true cranesbills. Geranium sanguineum var. striatum is not individually listed by the ASPCA; hardy geraniums are generally regarded as non-toxic to cats and dogs, but absent a specific ASPCA non-toxic listing it is rated mildly-toxic as a precaution. Verify with a vet and keep pets from chewing the foliage. 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 sanguineum var. striatum deep-dive guides

Every aspect of geranium sanguineum var. striatum care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Geranium sanguineum var. striatum watering schedule
• Geranium sanguineum var. striatum light requirements
• Best soil mix for geranium sanguineum var. striatum
• Geranium sanguineum var. striatum fertilizing guide
• When to repot geranium sanguineum var. striatum
• How to propagate geranium sanguineum var. striatum
• Geranium sanguineum var. striatum growth rate & size
• Geranium sanguineum var. striatum cold hardiness
• Geranium sanguineum var. striatum temperature & humidity
• Is geranium sanguineum var. striatum toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is geranium sanguineum var. striatum toxic to cats?
• Is geranium sanguineum var. striatum toxic to dogs?
• Getting geranium sanguineum var. striatum to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Geranium sanguineum var. striatum qualifies for 4 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• 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.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Geranium sanguineum var. striatum is also commonly called Striped bloody cranesbill or Lancastrian geranium.

• Peace lily care — light, water and common problems
• Bird of paradise care — light, water and common problems
• Hoya care — light, water and common problems
• All 5561 plant care guides in the Growli library