Geranium palmatum 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Geranium palmatum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Giant Cranesbill (Madeira)

Geranium palmatum

£19.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingShade-tolerantEvergreenLoved by pollinators
Pot size
17cm / 2L £19.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Geranium palmatum is the exotic gardener's cranesbill: a Madeiran species that builds a lush, evergreen rosette of big, glossy, palm-cut leaves worthy of a fern gully, then sends up a metre-wide constellation of purple-pink flowers on red-flushed stems through early and mid summer. Bees work it from dawn.

It offers most of the drama of the legendary Geranium maderense with far more resilience: rated H3, to around -7C with drainage, and unlike its cousin it survives flowering to repeat the show, while a scatter of self-sown seedlings keeps the succession going for free.

How and where to grow

  • Position: sun or partial shade, sheltered.
  • Soil: free-draining, reasonably fertile; dry winters, easy summers.
  • Size: rosette to 60 cm; flowering plants to around 1.2 m.
  • Hardiness: H3, around -7C; seedlings insure colder gardens.

Grow it at a wall base or mid-exotic border where the rosette shows all winter, or in a generous pot among our plants for pots. It earns its keep with pollinators and belongs in every collection of hardy exotics.

Nursery-grown rosettes ready to establish. Winter honesty in our seasonal expectations guide.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Giant Cranesbill (Madeira)

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Giant Cranesbill (Madeira)

Geranium palmatum needs full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Semi-Hardy (H3): down to around −5°C. Half-hardy; reliable in mild or coastal gardens, protect in colder areas.

Rated H3, to around -7C with good drainage, and reliably hardier than its famous cousin G. maderense. In cold gardens it self-seeds, so even a lost rosette usually leaves heirs. Read moreShow less

Rated H3, to around -7C with good drainage, and reliably hardier than its famous cousin G. maderense. In cold gardens it self-seeds, so even a lost rosette usually leaves heirs.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingEast-facingSheltered
Sun or partial shade; a sheltered wall base is ideal. Read moreShow less

Sun or partial shade; a sheltered wall base is ideal.

Soil

LoamSandChalkWell-drainedMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Free-draining, reasonably fertile soil; dislikes winter waterlogging. Read moreShow less

Free-draining, reasonably fertile soil; dislikes winter waterlogging.

Watering

Water to establish, then only in drought. Seedlings appear around the parent and are easily moved. Read moreShow less

Water to establish, then only in drought. Seedlings appear around the parent and are easily moved.

Mature size

Height0.6-1.2 m
Spread0.6-1 m

Reaches full size in 1-2 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

May-Jul · Pink, Purple

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Remove spent flower stems and tired outer leaves at the base; no other pruning.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets.

Native range

Madeira

Family

Geraniaceae

Also known as

Geranium palmatum

Genus

Geranium
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Geranium palmatum?

A giant evergreen cranesbill from the laurel forests of Madeira: a sculptural rosette of large, glossy, palm-shaped leaves that erupts in early summer into a metre-wide cloud of purple-pink flowers. It brings instant subtropical lushness on a genuinely tough constitution.

How does it differ from Geranium maderense?

G. maderense is bigger and dies after its single monumental flowering, and it is distinctly tender. G. palmatum is hardier, flowers year after year, and self-seeds gently, the sensible sibling with most of the drama.

How hardy is Geranium palmatum?

H3, to around -7C with sharp drainage; rosettes sail through most southern and coastal winters and self-sown seedlings insure against the rest. See our seasonal expectations guide.

Where should I plant it?

At a sheltered wall base, on a bank, or mid-border in an exotic planting where the rosette shows. It slots between bold foliage like Farfugium and spiky companions in our hardy exotics range.

Does it self-seed everywhere?

Gently: expect a handful of seedlings near the parent, welcome insurance rather than a weed problem. Unwanted ones pull easily or pot up as gifts.

Can it grow in a pot?

Handsomely: the rosette alone justifies a generous container in gritty compost, and pot culture lets cold gardens shelter it in winter. Companions in our plants for pots collection.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Rated by real customers

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