Geranium Azure Rush®

Exploring the Compact Beauty of Geranium Azure Rush®

The more contained growth of Geranium Azure Rush® makes a desirable home and garden plant, displaying well in containers and front borders. 

In the year 2000, Blooms of Bressingham introduced 
Geranium Rozanne® (‘Gerwat’), a creation of the English couple, the Waterers, who crossed a European hardy geranium with an Asian one.

Fast forward to 2007, Blooms of Bressingham unveiled a superior variant, Geranium Azure Rush®. This sport, a genetic mutation, brought lighter flowers, a more compact growth, and less sprawling nature compared to its predecessor, 
Rozanne®. The crowning glory of Azure Rush® lies in its vibrant violet-blue petals, distinguishing it as a spectacular evolution in the world of geraniums.

Beloved for their abundance of violet-blue flowers and low-maintenance nature, Geranium Azure Rush® and Geranium Rozanne® emerge as contenders, known for their stunning blooms and easy care, these plants are hardy in USDA zones 5-8.

Geranium Azure Rush®: A Touch of Elegance
Azure Rush® is a charming cultivar prized for its delicate lavender-blue flowers and compact, mounding growth habit. Its lush, aromatic foliage provides an excellent contrast to the azure blooms, creating a visually pleasing display in borders, containers, and rock gardens. ‘Azure Rush’ is a mutation of ‘Rozanne’ from the Waterers, discovered at Jeddeloh Nursery in Germany.

Geranium Rozanne® (‘Gerwat’) is a garden-worthy hardy Geranium, recognized as the PPA Perennial Plant of the Year, RHS Plant of the Centenary, and received the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Geranium Rozanne® is a testament that excellent garden plants can emerge from anywhere and become a garden staple. Launched at the 2000 Chelsea Flower Show with our support, it won numerous awards and remains an industry favorite.

Geranium Azure Rush® gets noticed for its compact growth habit and striking azure-blue flowers. This variety stands out for its ability to thrive in a range of conditions while maintaining a neat, tidy appearance. Its compact nature makes it an ideal choice for smaller gardens, containers, or edging along pathways.

One of the defining features of Geranium Azure Rush® is its controlled growth, which typically reaches heights of around 18-20 inches (46-51 cm). This compact size not only lends itself well to confined spaces but also makes it easier to manage and maintain compared to larger geranium varieties.

In contrast, Geranium Rozanne® has long been celebrated for its prolific flowering and vigorous growth habit. While not as compact as Geranium Azure Rush®, Geranium Rozanne® reaches with a height of 20”-24” (48-53 cm) and a sprawling width.

The difference is in the spread of the plants, Rozanne will spread up to 100cm”

-Paul Gooderham – General Manager for Must Have Perennials®

The robust efforts of Blooms of Bressingham, now Must Have Perennials® have brought Azure Rush® and other hardy perennials in the exhibit to the attention of the horticulture industry around the world. 

Additionally, deer, rabbits and their predacious four-legged allies generally avoid them.  The plants are easy to care for, though deadheading may increase flower production.  Generally, ‘Azure Rush’ will flower on and off throughout the growing season. 

The trends in marketing our perennials include appealing to consumers who want plants that grow well in shaded gardens as well as containers. The more compact nature of Azure Rush makes it a winner for our program.

We delight in the response of growers that want to include Azure Rush® in their program.”

-Justin Wisniewski, Product Manager for Aris Horticulture®

Azure Rush® adds enduring color from spring until frost. These geraniums are resilient and adapt to diverse growing conditions, an easy choice for gardeners looking to nurture a pollinator garden.

One of the standout features of Geranium Azure Rush® is its exceptional heat and drought tolerance, making it well-suited for gardeners in warmer climates. Additionally, this cultivar thrives in well-drained soil and partial shade, although it can adapt to a variety of growing conditions with proper care. 

Geranium Azure Rush® is known for its prolonged flowering period, often extending from late spring to early fall. This extended bloom time ensures exceptional versatility and adaptability to various growing conditions. Whether planted in sun or partial shade, in borders, rock gardens, or containers, this resilient cultivar thrives with minimal maintenance. 

Geranium Azure Rush®, a geranium with deeply dissected leaves, lightly scented foliage, and the bright blue, yet pale purple five-petaled flowers.  Each petal is about two inches wide and features a white or palest blue central “eye”.  The petals are also strikingly veined in deep purple.As trends are leaning towards growing millions of units per year and as we approach the summer of 2024, Geranium Azure Rush® is an inspiration to the industry.

Azure Rush® | Geranium of our Dreams!

Rozanne® (‘Gerwat’) | Geranium of the Millennium