Geranium Elke is the accepted RHS cultivar name for the plant also listed as Geranium sanguineum Elke. This low, bushy, spreading herbaceous Perennial in Geraniaceae forms a broad mat about 20-25 cm high and 30-50 cm wide. Deeply divided aromatic Green leaves develop bright Yellow fall color. Soft lilac-Pink to mauve, Cup-shaped flowers face upward, and each petal carries a narrow White edge. Exact institutional observations document flowers from May through October.
Grow in USDA zones 3-8 in Full sun or Partial shade. It accepts Chalk, Clay, Loam, or Sand, any pH, and Moist but Well Drained or Well Drained Soil. Water during establishment; mature plants tolerate dry periods. A planting distance of about 35 cm follows the exact nursery density of eight plants per square meter. Remove spent stems and old leaves to promote fresh foliage and repeat bloom, then cut old growth to the ground in early spring.
Use this compact Mound-forming plant as Ground Cover, in cottage gardens, gravel gardens, rock gardens, wildlife plantings, and garden edging. Flowers support butterflies and other pollinators, while exact garden records describe deer and rabbit resistance. Plant with Campanula poscharskyana Schneeranke, Stachys byzantina, or Veronica spicata Rosa Zwerg. Propagate by spring division or basal cuttings. Monitor for vine weevil, capsid bugs, sawflies, downy mildew, and powdery mildew.