Plant in sun or shade (foliage a deeper purple in a sunny location) in a moist, rich soil. It is very cold hardy (Geranium pretense is a northern European species) but does not tolerate heat well. It will remain somewhat evergreen in mild climates.

This plant was a selection from the San Francisco garden of Victor Reiter. Our plants are grown from plants propagated by micropropagation (tissue culture) and should not be confused with the seed strain that has variable foliage color.

The etymology of the genus name Geranium, and the family Geraniaceae, is derived from the Greek word, 'geranos' which means "crane" from the seed capsule's resemblance to beak of this bird. It is a large genus with over 430 species distributed throughout most of the world, except in lowland tropical areas. We grew this plant at San Marcos Growers from 2003 to 2005. 

The information about Geranium pratense 'Victor Reiter' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.