Geum 'Koi'

Geum 'Koi': Electric Orange Cups, No Pond Required

'Koi' is the goldfish that never got flushed. Bright orange cups with gold centres, swimming above a low clump for months on end. NO POND. NO FILTER. NO FISH FOOD.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Geum coccineum 'Koi'
• Common Name: Scarlet Avens
• Height: 20–25 cm (8–10 in)
• Spread: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Flowers: Bright orange, cup-shaped, with gold centres
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early fall (May to September)
• Foliage: Serrated green leaves in a low basal clump that stays green all season
• Features: Long bloom season, compact habit, good small cut flower

Where to Plant: It is built for the front of a border, a rock garden, a path edge or a container. Plant three or five together for a bright patch of orange that lasts for months.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Koi' at the front of a sunny or part-shade bed with cream peonies, ivory daylilies and rosy veronica. Paeonia 'Bowl of Cream' opens big cream double peonies at 80 to 90 cm in May and June. Veronica 'Very Van Gogh' adds rosy-purple spikes at 46 to 51 cm in July and August. Hemerocallis 'Arctic Snow' brings ivory-white daylilies at 60 cm in July and August. Miscanthus 'Little Kitten' adds a compact, fine-bladed clump at 60 to 90 cm in flower.

Plant Care: Plant it in full sun to part sun, in well-drained soil. It does well in average garden soil but hates wet feet in winter, so avoid low spots and heavy, soggy clay. Water during long dry spells. Snip off spent flower stems to keep new buds coming. Cut back old foliage in late fall or early spring. Divide every few years in spring if the centre of the clump thins out.

History: Geum coccineum is a scarlet avens native to the mountains of the Balkans and Turkey, and its species name means scarlet. 'Koi' is a compact, seed-raised selection offered by the German seed house Jelitto, valued for its short stems, bright orange colour, long season and first-year flowering.

Final Thoughts: Pop it at the front of a sunny bed or in a pot by the door. The butterflies will circle. THE ONLY PET THAT WON'T DIE ON VACATION.