Geum Borisii

Description

Quick Facts
– Botanical Name: Geum coccineum ‘Borisii’
– Common Name: Borisii Garden Avens / Scarlet Avens
– Plant Type: Hardy herbaceous perennial
– Mature Height: 30–40cm
– Mature Spread: 30–40cm
– Flowering Period: May through to autumn — a long and reliable season
– Flower Colour: Bright, vibrant orange, upward-facing, saucer-shaped flowers carried on dainty stems just above the foliage
– Foliage: Rich green, deeply lobed, low-growing mound — compact and attractive through the season
– Habit: Neat, clump-forming
– Aspect: Full sun to partial shade; best flowering in sun
– Soil: Moist, well-drained, fertile; tolerant of most soils
– Hardiness: Very hardy in Ireland & the UK
– Maintenance: Low — deadhead for a longer season

Description
Geum coccineum ‘Borisii’ is one of the cheeriest and most dependable perennials for the early summer border — a hardy, clump-forming Garden Avens that flowers from May and keeps going into autumn. In spring it forms a compact mound of rich green, deeply lobed foliage, and from that mound rise delicate stems carrying upward-facing, bright orange flowers that hover just above the leaves like a scatter of little suns. The colour is genuinely vivid — warm, glowing orange that lifts a border and reads beautifully from a distance.

It is also everything a garden perennial should be: perfectly hardy, easy to grow, generous in flower over a long season, and popular with bees and pollinators. In a cottage garden or mixed perennial border it is a genuine must-have, brightening the front of a bed with months of dependable colour and asking for very little in return.

Cheerful, hardy, and endlessly floriferous — a little gem for the front of the border.

Caragh Garden Notebook

Planting:
Plant in spring or autumn into moist, well-drained, fertile soil. ‘Borisii’ is tolerant of most reasonable garden soils and establishes readily; it performs at its best in a sunny position, though it will flower reasonably in partial shade. Give it a position at the front or middle of a border where the glowing orange flowers can be properly seen, and allow the compact mound to develop without being crowded by taller neighbours. Water in thoroughly after planting.

Watering:
Water consistently through the first growing season while the plant establishes. Once settled, ‘Borisii’ is reasonably tolerant of drier conditions but performs best with consistent moisture through the growing season — in prolonged dry spells, an occasional thorough watering will keep the flowering at its best. Avoid waterlogged conditions, which the plant dislikes. In containers, water regularly through the growing season and ensure the pot drains freely.

Feeding:
An annual spring topdress of well-rotted compost or a light balanced fertiliser will support strong growth and a long flowering season. In reasonably fertile soil, little further feeding is needed. Avoid rich, heavily fed conditions, which can produce soft, lush foliage at the expense of the dainty, compact habit and the flowers.

Deadheading & Seasonal Care:
The long flowering season is one of the plant’s great assets, and it is easily extended with one simple task: remove the faded flowers regularly, cutting back to the base of the spent stem. This encourages a constant succession of fresh blooms from May into autumn and keeps the plant neat and vibrant. In late autumn, the foliage can be tidied as it dies back, and in early spring, remove any tired growth to make way for the fresh mound.

Division:
Divide established clumps every three to four years in spring to maintain vigour and to spread the plant through the garden. Lift the clump carefully, divide into sections each with healthy roots and shoots, and replant immediately into well-prepared soil. Water in thoroughly. Division keeps the clumps young and vigorous and is the simplest way to create a generous drift of geums over time.

Pests & Problems:
Generally very trouble-free. The most common issue is occasional slug damage to young foliage and emerging growth in spring — worth monitoring and protecting if necessary at this stage. In very heavy, poorly drained soil the plant may underperform; good drainage at planting is the most reliable safeguard. Otherwise, this is a dependable, problem-free perennial.

Design Notes:
The vivid orange of ‘Borisii’ is one of the most effective flower colours for lifting a border — it reads boldly against blues, purples, and silver foliage, and glows in the low light of early morning and evening. Use it at the front of a cottage garden or mixed perennial border, where the compact mound and upward-facing flowers sit neatly along the edge; interplant with blue-flowered perennials such as persicaria, Salvia, or campanula for a striking complementary contrast; or combine with the soft pinks and cream of other geums and hardy geraniums for a warm, harmonious planting. It is equally at home in a gravel garden, in a container, or tumbling at the edge of a path, and its long flowering season and value to pollinators make it one of the most useful front-of-border plants available.