Culture
Grow in medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, fertile soils. Remove spent flowers to encourage additional bloom, but consider leaving some of the later flowers so that the fluffy seed heads can form. Plants tend to struggle in the summer with the heat and humidity of the deep South (particularly south of USDA Zone 7). Some afternoon shade is best in hot climates such as St. Louis. Wet, poorly drained soils in winter can be fatal. Divide plants in spring as needed to maintain vigor. Foliage is evergreen in southern climates.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Geum is a genus of about 50 species from North and South America, Asia, New Zealand and Africa.
Genus name is the classical Latin name of the group.
‘Totally Tangerine’, commonly known as avens, is a clump-forming hybrid perennial which is the result of a deliberate crossing of Geum rivale (female parent) and Geum chiloense ‘Mrs. Bradshaw” (male parent) by Timothy Crowther in 1999 at his nursery in West Sussex, United Kingdom. This is a large geum. Plants typically form a basal foliage mound to 14” tall consisting of deltoid, tomentose, rough-textured, medium green leaves (to 2 3/8” long and 3” wide) with biserrate margins. Foliage is evergreen to semi-evergreen in warm winter climates. Upward and outward facing, orange-peach flowers with overlapping petals bloom in branched sprays which rise above the foliage mound to 30” tall in a lengthy mid-spring to mid-summer bloom. Some sporadic additional bloom may occur in late summer leading to a more substantial rebloom in early fall. Flowers are sterile (no fruit or seed).
This cultivar was originally named ‘Tim’s Tangerine’ and is still sold by some nurseries under that name.
U.S. Plant Patent PP22,041 was issued on July 26, 2011.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. May be short-lived in heavy clay soils and/or hot summer climates.
Uses
Mass in borders or rock gardens. Foliage makes an attractive ground cover after bloom.