Pretticoats Peach Geum Is a Standout New Selection

Virtues: Pretticoats Peach is a new avens, or Geum, cultivar from Terra Nova Nurseries. It stands out from older avens with its compact size that makes it perfect for the front of the border or even a container. Also unique are its flowers, which offer shades of pink, peach and yellow while remaining just above the mound of foliage and facing outward rather than drooping down. The foliage stays fresh and attractive all summer. Plus, Pretticoats Peach begins to bloom in spring and will rebloom through summer.

Common name: Pretticoats Peach avens, Pretticoats Peach geum

Botanical name: Geum PRETTICOATS Peach

Exposure: Full sun

Flowers: Pretticoats Peach geum blooms in spring, with a rebloom through summer into autumn. Ruffly pinky peach and yellow petals surround golden stamens. The large flowers are held on thin stalks that rise straight out of the foliage. The flower stalks are shorter than those of other geums, so the flowers remain closer to the leaves. The flowers also face outward more than other varieties whose flowers can droop down.

Foliage: Broad, dark green, scalloped leaves cover the plant. The leaves of some geums become unattractive over the summer, but the foliage on Pretticoats Peach remains fresh and green throughout the growing season. 

Habit: This geum is a compact selection that grows about 10 inches tall and 20 inches wide, forming a mound of foliage. It's an herbaceous perennial, dying back in the fall and lying dormant until spring, when it rapidly grows.

Origin: Bred and introduced in 2020 by Terra Nova Nurseries.

How to grow it: Site Pretticoats Peach geum in full sun and moist, loamy soil that drains well. In hot regions, provide light shade in the afternoon. Geums need regular moisture and do not tolerate drought. These perennials are low maintenance in the right position, but they do typically need to be divided every few years to revitalize the plant. USDA Zones 5–9.

Image credit: Terra Nova Nurseries