Some geraniums come back every year outdoors; others need winter protection. The answer depends on which plant you have. Hardy geraniums, also called cranesbills, are generally perennial garden plants. The colorful bedding plants commonly sold as geraniums are usually Pelargonium, which are frost-tender and often grown as annuals in cold-winter regions.
Check the plant label before planning for winter
Look for the botanical name as well as the common name. Zonal, ivy-leaved, and scented-leaved geraniums sold for summer containers are commonly pelargoniums. A plant labeled Geranium belongs to a different genus. Flower color alone is not a dependable way to decide how much cold a plant can take.
The Royal Horticultural Society’s Pelargonium guide distinguishes these tender plants from hardy geraniums. Pelargoniums can live for more than one season if protected from conditions that kill them. Being sold in the annuals section does not mean the plant must die after flowering.
Hardy geraniums can return from the same roots
A hardy cranesbill suited to your climate can regrow after its leaves die back for winter. Check the named cultivar’s hardiness and light requirements before planting. There are tender species within Geranium too, so the genus name alone does not guarantee winter survival.
Drainage matters as well as temperature. Avoid a site that stays waterlogged through winter, and match the plant to the available sun or shade. The RHS hardy-geranium growing guide explains the different growing requirements and seasonal dieback. A dormant plant with no winter leaves is not necessarily dead; look for new growth when the local growing season returns.
How to keep tender geraniums through winter
Move pelargoniums under protection before the first fall frost. Choose one overwintering method rather than mixing instructions for actively growing plants with instructions for dormant storage. Iowa State University Extension describes three options:
- Keep a potted plant growing: Use a container with drainage and a bright window or suitable growing light. Cool indoor conditions are useful. Water when the surface becomes dry; a dark basement is not a suitable place for a plant you intend to keep growing.
- Take stem cuttings: Root healthy cuttings before frost, then grow the rooted plants indoors. This saves space when a mature plant is too large to bring inside.
- Store suitable plants bare-root: Iowa State describes cool, dry storage around 45–55°F, followed by trimming to living tissue and repotting in spring. This is a separate dormant-storage method, not advice to leave a wet potted plant in darkness.
Label the plants before bringing them inside so you can identify them later. Keep an eye on stored or growing plants over winter rather than assuming they will all survive unattended.
Returning plants outdoors in spring
Wait until frost danger has passed for tender pelargoniums. Move plants gradually into their outdoor light conditions, and check water needs again as wind and warmth increase. Remove dead growth and inspect leaves before placing the plants among the rest of your containers. A plant weakened over winter may need time to recover before producing its usual display.
Are geraniums safe around pets?
Do not treat pelargoniums as pet-safe. The ASPCA lists Pelargonium species as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, with possible signs including vomiting, reduced appetite, depression, and dermatitis. Keep them out of reach. If a pet has eaten the plant, contact a veterinarian or animal poison service and provide the plant’s identity.
That listing should not be stretched into a claim that every plant called geranium has identical toxicity. Identify the actual plant before making a pet-safety decision. For winter survival too, its botanical name and cultivar are more useful than the common name alone.
