'Lady Stratheden' Chilean Avens;
or, Goldball Geum
"Nature is painting for us,
day after day,
pictures of infinite beauty."
-James Russell Lowell
(1819-1891)
(1819-1891)
Geum chiloense (formerly G. quellyon) 'Lady Stratheden' aka 'Goldball' is a classic cottage garden pernenial with semi-double brightest yellow flowers. It blooms as early as May & certainly by June lasting into August, & with deadheading can rebloom as late as September. The flowers rise high above the basal leaves on slender stems eighteen inches to two feet, excellent for cut flowers.
The basal leaves for hairy rosettes in very pretty clumps which on Puget Sound are semi-evergreen. It likes full sun in organically rich, moderately well-watered, sharply draining soil. Large old clump can be divided spring or autumn.
The basal leaves form a thick clump to eighteen inches wide, from which flower stems rise to two feet or taller. If grown from seeds or seedlings, they can take three years to be mature enough to produce flowers in great quantity. As a slow grower it may not need autumn or spring division until its fifth year, though thereafter the clumps may require division as often as every second or third year, or the clumps may begin to tire & do poorly. It wants full sun in moist well-draining soil.
Ideal for zones 7 & for zone 8 if it gets some protection at the very height of summer, it is semi-evergreen to fully evergreen through our mild winters. It is apt to be much more shortlived in areas with very hot summers or very cold winters, though it is reasonable to give it a try down to Zone 5.
This cultivar is named for Mary Elizabeth Scarlett (1796-1860), the 1st Baroness Stratheden (Lady Strathedon & Campbell) in Scotland.
Frequently sold alongside the fiery semi-double 'Mrs. Bradshaw' as they are practically twins one red one yellow. Many named geums grow true to the parent only from cuttings, but 'Mrs. Bradshaw' & 'Lady Strathendon' can be very successfully seed-grown.