Common name: Geranium
Family: Geraniaceae, Geranium
Height x width: 18" x 12"
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: mostly opposite, palmately or pinnately veined; entire, lobed or dissected margins; often with a strong odor
Flowers: red, pink, salmon, white; single and double; usually 5 sepals and 5 petals
Hardiness: annual
Soil: well-drained
Light: sun
Pests and problems: bacterial leaf spot, black leg, botrytis blight, root and stem rots, rust, mealybugs, caterpillars, spider mites, thrips (insect pests mainly in greenhouses)
Landscape habit, uses: massing, borders, containers, edging, hanging baskets (some cultivars), houseplant
Other interest: names from Greek pelargos meaning stork and geranion meaning crane, refering to shape of fruit
Other culture: perennial in zones 9-10, keep old flowers pickedoff for longest bloom
Propagation: some cultivars from seed (6000 seeds per ounce) sown 8-10 weeks before planting out; others from stem cuttings
Species:
Of the 250 species, many cultivars and hybrids have been developed and
placed into 17 classes or groups. The most common groups are:
(Z)Zonal Pelargoniums (x hortorum)--most the ones grown primarily for flowers, upright, long bloom, some with unique traits are grouped into strains:
Cactus-flowered--furled or quilled petals
Irenes--American, large flowerheads
Stellars--Australian, small plants, star-shaped leaves
Startels--similar to Stellars, pointed petals
Miniature--under 6" tall
Dwarf--6-8" tall
Rosebud--petals tight together as in rosebuds
Only the more popular zonals in series are listed below.
(F)Foliage Pelargoniums--also called "fancy-leaved", foliage bronze or yellow, black or white
(R)Regal Pelargoniums--(x domesticum) also called "Martha Washington" pelargoniums, mainly from cucullatum, bushy with leaves often five-lobed, toothed and cupped; flowers mainly purple, pink or white and streaked, striped or blotched; mainly early bloom, usually single flowers; Angel Pelargoniums are similar only under 12" tall
(I)Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums--mainly from peltatum, trailing
and vine-like brittle stems, ivy-shaped thick leathery leaves, susceptible
to overwatering (oedema--water blisters on leaves); mainly purple, pink
and white; good for hanging baskets and windowboxes
Cultivars:
| Cultivars | group | flowers | other |
| 'Alba' | Z | white | compact, from Fischer |
| 'Alpha' | F | red, single | golden leaves, narrow brown zone |
| Americana series | Z | 14 colors | good heat performance, from Goldsmith |
| 'Amethyst' | I | lavender | |
| 'Appleblossom Rosebud' | Z | white, edged pink | rosebud type |
| 'Atlantis '96' | Z | purple | medium size, dark green, from Fischer |
| 'Beauty of Eastbourne' | I | rosy red | early, double |
| 'Bernardo' | I | light red | double |
| 'Black Lace' | R | dark maroon | lacy edged flowers |
| 'Bravo' | Z | dark pink | dark green, medium size, from Fischer |
| 'Breakaway' | I | red or salmon | good in heat |
| 'Butterfly' | I | lavender | semi-double, early |
| 'Cameo' | Z | deep salmon | round heads well above leaves, seed |
| Cascade series | I | red, lilac or pink | |
| 'Cornell' | I | lavender | large flowers |
| Designer series | Z | 19 colors | medium-green leaves, from Ball |
| 'Dolly Varden' | F | red | rose, red and green leaves edged white |
| 'Dr. Livingstone' | S | -- | lemon rose scent, deeply cut leaves |
| Dynamo series | Z | 3 colors | similar to Elite, seed |
| Eclipse series | Z | 5 colors | dark green leaves, from Goldsmith |
| 'Eleonor' | I | magenta, white bicolor | |
| Elite series | Z | 6 colors and mix | 10-12" tall, early bloom, seed |
| 'Freckles' | Z | pink, darker center | 1991 AAS winner |
| 'Geronimo' | Z | deep scarlet | closely spaced florets, seed |
| 'Grand Slam' | R | rose red | darker markings on flowers |
| 'Happy Thought' | F | red, single | yellow, bronze and green leaves |
| 'Harvard' | I | deep burgundy | semi-double, late |
| 'Hollywood Star' | Z | rose, white bicolor | early, seed |
| 'Kardino' | Z | purple red | vigorous, from Fischer |
| Minicascade series | I | pink, mauve or red | small leaves, single flowers, compact |
| 'Miss Burdett-Coutts' | F | vermilion, small | green leaves with red splashes |
| 'Mrs. Parker' | F | pink, semi-double | compact, white edged leaves, old |
| Multibloom series | Z | 8 colors and mix | compact, early, seed |
| Neon Rose Improved | Z | vivid rose | compact, seed |
| Nicole series | I | pink or white | semi-double, compact, early |
| 'Orange Appeal' | Z | orange | 1991 Fleuroselect winner, seed |
| Orbit series | Z | 17 colors | popular, compact, early, zoned, seed |
| 'PAC Evening Glow' | Z | dark salmon | good in heat, from Oglevee |
| 'PAC Fox' | Z | dark magenta | early, good in heat, no zone, from Oglevee |
| 'PAC Kim' | Z | scarlet | early, good in heat, no zone, from Oglevee |
| 'PAC Melody' | Z | dark pink | early, good in heat, no zone, from Oglevee |
| 'PAC North Star' | Z | white | early, good in heat, no zone, from Oglevee |
| 'PAC Pink Expectations' | Z | salmon | early, good in heat, from Oglevee |
| 'PAC Sassy Dark Red' | Z | burgundy | early, good in heat, no zone, from Oglevee |
| 'PAC Veronica' | Z | magenta | early, good in heat, from Oglevee |
| 'Picasso' | Z | violet | zoned, seed |
| Pinnacle series | Z | 5 colors | from Dummen |
| Pinto series | Z | 10 colors | 12-14" tall, multiple flowers, seed |
| 'Pompeii' | R | black, pink margins | compact |
| 'Red Hots' | Z | scarlet | early, good in heat, no zone, from Oglevee |
| Ringo 2000 series | Z | 8 colors | earlier, better habit than Ringo, seed |
| 'Rigi' | I | rose pink | |
| 'Roulette' | I | red, white bicolor | semi-double |
| 'Saint Malo' | I | deep red | semi-double, early |
| 'Salmon Queen' | I | salmon pink | |
| 'Samba' | Z | dark red | early, medium size, from Fischer |
| 'Schoene Helena' | Z | salmon | vigorous, from Fischer |
| Showcase series | Z | 7 colors | dark green leaves, from Ball |
| 'Skies of Italy' | F | orange-red, single | yellow, bronze and red leaves |
| 'Snow Queen' | I | white | |
| 'Solo' | I | dark red | semi-double, compact |
| 'Spring Park' | R | white, pink eye | long bloom, very compact, lemony |
| 'Summer Showers' | I | 5 colors | from seed |
| 'Sybil Holmes' | I | rosy pink | double, bushy |
| 'Tango' | Z | red | dark green, from Fischer |
| 'Tavira' | I | red | |
| Tornado series | I | red,white- red veins | early, citrus scented leaves, seed |
| 'Vinco' | I | deep pink | semi-double, compact, early |
| 'Yale' | I | true red | |
| 'Yours Truly' | Z | scarlet | good in heat, from Oglevee |
(S)Scented-leaved Pelargoniums--wide range of habits and leaf
shapes; leaves usually with scents of citrus, rose, spices, mint, fruits;
leaves may be hairy; flowers usually small; hybrids and cultivars of several
species
| Cultivar | species | height | flowers | leaves |
| 'Apple' | odoratissimum | 4-6" | white, lacy | trailing |
| 'Apricot' | scabrum | 12-16" | dark rose | deeply cut |
| 'Attar of Roses' | -- | 10" | -- | velvety lobed, perfumes |
| 'Chocolate Peppermint' | -- | 10" | -- | dark central marks, vigorous |
| 'Cinnamon' | limoneum | 12" | rose pink | compact, small |
| 'Clorinda' | -- | 12-24" | rose pink | Martha Washington cross |
| 'Coconut' | parviflorum | 6-12" | -- | small leaves, trailing |
| 'Dr. Livingstone' | -- | 12-24" | -- | deeply cut, lemon rose scent |
| 'Fair Ellen' | quercifolium | 12-16" | rose | dark mid zone, oak-leaved |
| 'Filbert' | concolor | 8-14" | crimson | deeply lobed, compact |
| 'Ginger' | torento | 12-24" | lavender | rounded |
| 'Gooseberry' | grossularioides | 8-12" | -- | mottled yellow, grape scent |
| 'Joy Lucille' | -- | 12-24" | soft pink | peppermint-rose, deep lobes |
| 'Lady Plymouth' | -- | 12-24" | -- | variegated rose, gray leaves |
| 'Lemon Balm' | mellisinum | 12-28" | -- | balm scent, vigorous |
| 'Lemon Crispum' | crispum | 12-24" | -- | tiny, crinkled, strong lemony |
| 'Lime' | x nervosum | 8-12" | -- | dense, small, crinkled |
| 'Mabel Grey' | -- | 36" | lavender | intense lemon verbena scent |
| 'Mint Rose' | -- | 12-24" | -- | variegated white, peppermint |
| 'Nutmeg' | fragrans | 4-6" | white, lacy | grayish leaves, spicy scent |
| 'Orange' | citriodorum | 12-24" | white to red | compact, popular |
| 'Peacock' | -- | 12-20" | -- | rose scent, skeleton, whitish |
| 'Peppermint' | tomentosum | 10" | white | large, velvety, strong scent |
| 'Pretty Polly' | -- | 10" | pink | deep lobes, fresh donut scent |
| 'Prince Rupert' | -- | 24-30" | -- | old hybrid, bushy, lemony |
| 'Rober's Lemon Rose' | -- | 24-30" | -- | lobed, lemon and rose |
| 'Roger's Delight' | -- | 18" | salmon | lemon scent |
| 'Snowflake Rose' | -- | 10" | -- | rose scent, white mottled |
| 'Spanish Lavender' | cucullatum | 24-30" | lavender | velvety, woodsy scent |
| 'Strawberry' | -- | 12-24" | -- | popular Victorian hybrid |
| 'Sweet Miriam' | -- | 12-24" | bright pink | rose scent, glove-shaped |
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