Everything about Pelargonium totally explained
Pelargonium is a
genus of
flowering plants which includes about 200
species of
perennial,
succulent, and
shrub plants, commonly known as
geraniums. Confusingly,
Geranium is the correct botanical name of the separate genus which contains the related
Cranesbills. Both genera are in the Family
Geraniaceae.
Linnaeus originally included all the species in one genus,
Geranium, but they were later separated into two genera by
Charles L’Héritier in
1789. Gardeners sometimes refer to the members of Genus
Pelargonium as "pelargoniums" in order to avoid the confusion, but the older common name "geranium" is still in regular use.
History and use
The first species of
Pelargonium known to be cultivated was
Pelargonium triste, a native of
South Africa. It was probably brought to the
botanical garden in
Leiden before
1600 on ships which stopped at the
Cape of Good Hope. In
1631, the English gardener,
John Tradescant the elder, bought seeds from
Rene Morin in
Paris and introduced the plant to
England. The name
Pelargonium was introduced by
Johannes Burman in
1738, from Greek πελαργός pelargos = "
stork", because part of the flower looked like a stork's beak.
Other than grown for their beauty, species of Pelargonium such as
P. graveolens are important in the
perfume industry and are cultivated and
distilled for its scent. Although scented Pelargonium exist which have smells of
citrus,
mint, or various
fruits, the varieties with
rose scents are most commercially important. Pelargonium distillates and
absolutes, commonly known as "scented geranium oil" are sometimes used to supplement or adulterate expensive
rose oils.
Pelargonium species are used as food plants by the
larvae of some
Lepidoptera species including
Angle Shades.
Pelargoniums are believed to deter mosquitoes.
Garden geranium (
Pelargonium x hortorum;
syn. Pelargonium zonale) is one of the most common ornamental potted-plants, with over 200 varieties.
In 1988 the flower was described and illustrated in a comprehensive 3-volume work
Pelargoniums of Southern Africa by
Ellaphie Ward-Hilhorst with van der Walt and Vorster.
Cultivars
Species of
Pelargonium are indigenous to Southern Africa and are drought and heat tolerant, and can tolerate only minor frosts. Pelargoniums are extremely popular
garden plants, grown as annuals in temperate climates, and thousands of ornamental
cultivars have been developed from about 20 of the species.
- Zonal varieties, also known as P. ×hortorum, are mainly derived from P. zonale and P. inquinans.
- Ivy-leaved varieties are mainly derived from P. peltatum.
- Regal varieties, also known as French geraniums or P. × domesticum are mainly derived from P. cucullatum and P. grandiflorum.
- Scented-leaf varieties are derived from a great number of species, amongst others P. graveolens.
Structural variations
Pelargonium
leaves are usually alternate, and
palmately lobed or
pinnate, often on long stalks, and sometimes with light or dark patterns.
The erect stems bear five-petaled
flowers in
umbel-like clusters called
pseudoumbels. The shapes of the flowers have been bred to a variety ranging star-shaped to funnel-shaped, and colors include white, pink, red, orange-red, fuchsia to deep purple.
In early 2006 a long-awaited yellow-flowered variety was launched. Called the Guernsey Flair, it was supplied exclusively to the television shopping channel QVC in the UK, and all available plants were sold within a few minutes.
See photo of yellow geranium.
The flower has a much yellower hue than the cream-colored varieties which some developers had called yellow previously.
Horticultural pelargoniums (as opposed to botanical, the wild 'species') fall into six major groups, with zonals subdivided further:
Angel
Ivy-leaved = hanging
Regal (or Royal) = French
Shrubby-leaved
Unique
Zonal - erect and bushy
- Cactus-flowered
- Deacon (mostly dwarfs, cf. infra)
- Double-flowered
- Fancy-leaved
- Formosum hybrid
- Rosebud
- Tulip-flowered
- Single-flowered
- Stellar
- Straight Zonals
- It is also usual to classify small Zonals alternatively by size or odorous excellence :
- Dwarfs (small)
- Miniatures (even smaller)
- Parfum-leaved
Image gallery
Image:Pelargonium graveolens 2.jpg| P. graveolum
Image:Geranium close.jpg| P. x domesticum
Image:Geranium close2.JPG | "Martha Washington"
Image:Pelargonium sp3.JPG|native Pelargonium in South Africa Namaqualand
Image:Pelargonium hybride Stellar.JPG|Pelargonium Stellar, a cultivar
Image:pelargon.jpg|Garden geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Image:Fair Ellen.jpg|Fair Ellen
Image:Prettypinkflowersfromuva.jpg|P. × hortorum
References and external links
Maria Lis-Balchin, ed., Geranium and Pelargonium: History of Nomenclature, Usage and Cultivation. (Taylor and Francis, 2002) ISBN 0-415-28487-2
(External Link) - explanations in the on-line catalog of a Belgian breeder with over 1000 varieties of Pelargonium, most also illustrated, dozens added each year.
(External Link) - The Pelargonium Page: descriptions of botanical species with plant and habitat photosFurther Information
Get more info on 'Pelargonium'.
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