why are pelargoniums called geraniums

Join now. The name Pelargonium derives from the Greek term pelargós meaning stork because, when the flowers form a seed head, it resembles the long and slender beak of a stork. Pelargoniums are semi-hardy and more sensitive to frost. Geraniums always have symmetrical flowers. At that time, the first pelargoniums which were brought to Europe from South Africa were called geraniums, due to their similarity to the domestic perennial plant. I think it’s time to stop pussyfooting around. They are a bit ugly now, but after the Winter Solstice, they will snap out of their funk and grow abundantly. If you point to a geranium at a garden shop, you're actually probably identifying Pelargonium, a member of a group of plants which have commonly come to be called ‘geraniums.' Do hardy geraniums die back in winter? I also have a number of what I thought were geraniums, but now know are pelargoniums doing ok (tend to get very leggy), and they survive winter outside no worries – however, we rarely get snow and do not get frosts, so maybe that is why? You may say po-TAE-to and I may say po-TAH-to, but let’s all say geranium when we mean Geranium and pelargonium when we mean Pelargonium. The 'new' plants were re-classified as Pelargoniums, with both the Geranium and the Pelargonium classified as genera of the Geraniaceae Family. All Rights Reserved. There are a variety of colours and leaf forms available, all suitable for pots, hanging baskets or garden beds. or Geraniums as they are commonly known and still referred to, are great perennial plants for the easy care gardener.They require little attention once established and thrive in hot, dry conditions. have become widely popular in temperate climate gardens. When pelargoniums were brought over from South Africa they were thought to be the same as the geranium, and thus were accidentally misclassified, a mistake that wasn’t rectified until the 1700s. 19. Both geraniums and pelargoniums have a similar long, narrow, beaklike seed capsule. I have an annual infestation on my Rozanne geranium which very quickly makes all the leaves on a large plant, approximately half metre spread, to look like lace because there are so many tiny holes. Yes, many pelargoniums can take quite a bit of cold, but not prolonged freezing. Pelargonium is derived from the Greek word for stork, because the seed capsule is said to resemble a stork’s bill, while Geranium means crane, because it’s supposed to look like a crane’s bill. ( Log Out /  Their leaves come in a variety of shapes and sizes and may resemble ferns, grape leaves or oak leaves and may be deeply divided or nearly round. Let’s Stop the Confusion, Geraniums or Pelargoniums? The tall-stemmed flowers with ball-shaped blooms are actually Pelargoniums as classified by their genus or Pelargonium × hortorum according to their species. Again, most gardeners already know the difference and are familiar with the term “pelargonium” even if they don’t yet use it. It was a simple mistake. True geraniums are perennials called cranesbill geraniums. 16. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Jane recommends pruning geraniums and pelargoniums back by between one third to one half during March or April. There are many, many species of pelargonium, not all of which are heavy bloomers. The lines, called veins, radiate from one central point on the leaf. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. Geraniums and pelargoniums are often conflated, and it's true they're in the same plant family. | Kiyanti2008's Weblog, Are We Participating In The Spekboom Challenge? But Charles L’Héritier saw things differently and separated them into two genera in 1789. Confusingly, Pelargoniums are often called ‘geraniums’, but the true Geraniums (or cranesbills) belong to a related genus of hardy herbaceous plants, with a number of native species in Britain. Geraniums vs pelargoniums. Why are pelargoniums called geraniums? Geraniums are among the most popular of bedding and greenhouse plants. They are annual flowers that are sold for one season’s use. Get involved. Change ). Geraniums may be identified visually by looking at the leaves. The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. You may think that red, pink, or white annual flowering plants with thick pleated leaves are called \"geraniums,\" since everyone calls them that. Hence, why pelargoniums were also referred to as storksbill by the early enthusiasts. But for the last 40 years or so, true geraniums (Geranium spp.) Grown as annuals or brought indoors for the winter; Most have sturdy stems, often upright, that survive from one year to the next; Grown outdoors year round, almost never indoors; Herbaceous perennials (they usually die to the ground or to creeping rhizomes in the winter, then sprout again in the spring). I hope you don’t mind if I link this blog to mine. However, some hybrid pelargoniums have been bred with equal-sized petals, so they are exceptions. In fact, the botanical names both refer to this phenomenon. The original (incorrect) classification persists. That’s the basic rule. Unfortunately, the reclassification wasn’t widely accepted until much later. A. Zonal Pelargoniums (Pelargonium x hortorum). To distinguish them from the tender (half-hardy) pelargoniums, few of which can survive the winter in temperate climates, we took to calling the latter “hardy geraniums”. Pelargoniums, commonly known as geraniums, are a large group of mostly evergreen and tender perennials used as bedding or houseplants. They look so great in pots and window boxes, and they are one of the most popular container plants. It may come as a surprise to know theres more than one type of geranium. You know and I know that Scented Geraniums do not exist! What plants are indigenous to South Africa? Pelaragonium is derived from the Greek for stork, because the seed capsule is said to resemble a stork’s bill, while Geranium means crane, because it’s supposed to look like a crane’s bill. Geraniums are one of the most popular bedding plants, and while they are normally quite attractive, routine pruning may be necessary in order to keep them looking their best. Various types of Pelargonium are regular participants in flower shows and competitive events, with numerous societies devoted exclusively to their cultivation. ( Log Out /  19. were actually pelargoniums, that is, they don’t belong to the genus Geranium, but instead to the genus Pelargonium. Where did the confusion come from? Also serrated leaves are likely linked to pelargoniums. Of course, the two plant genera, Pelargonium and Geranium are closely related. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. These woody-stemmed, upright 2-foot-tall geraniums are also called Martha Washington geraniums, royal or French geraniums. Pelaragonium is derived from the Greek for stork, because the seed capsule is said to resemble a stork’s bill, while Geranium means crane, because it’s supposed to look like a crane’s bill. If it’s just a few leaves and the rest of the plant is looking robust enough then I’d suggest it could be a sudden change in temperature or some other harmless occurrence. They are easy to propagate vegetatively from cuttings. Often made worse by the fact that Americans still widely use this incorrect naming. Difference Between Geraniums and Pelargoniums, How to Collect Geranium Seeds from Plant (With Pictures), A Guide to Using a Heat Mat for Geranium Seedlings, How to Hand-Pollinate Geranium Flowers (Part 1), Crossing a Zonal Geranium with an Ivy Geranium (Interspecifics). 18. My geraniums aren’t looking very well – why? – while they have similarities, they differ in many ways too. (Note: This page is about plants in the genus Pelargonium, commonly called geraniums or storksbills. The change was widely accepted even back then and still holds today. Discover pelargoniums. I learnt something new today – I had them completely around the other way, or just thought they were all geraniums. Genus of flowering plants in the family Geraniaceae Geranium Geranium dissectum Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Rosids Order: Geraniales Family: Geraniaceae Genus: Geranium L. Species See list. Why not call a Geranium a geranium and a Pelargonium a pelargonium? Often grown as annuals, they produce flowers of breathtaking beauty over a long season. The first thing to look at is whether it is just a few leaves going yellow or whether the whole plant is looking a bit sick. In some areas they are grown as annuals. It’s better for me not to beak ….. now I know for sure that all my geraniums are actually pelargoniums. Thank you. But – as in most families! They are all part of the Geraniaceae plant family. Botanically speaking, true geraniums (those belonging to the genus Geranium ) are a related genus of hardy flowering perennial shrubs. Zonal geraniums, the most popular and widely known geraniums, are actually not geraniums at all. Named varieties to look out for include Black Knight, Bridesmaid, Caribrooke, Marylyn (above)Wooton and Lord Bute.The velvety textured petals can combine to make large flowerheads and look stunning in a pot or container. Other than that, there are no shrubby or climbing geraniums, so those must be pelargoniums. The average zonal pelargonium (Pelargonium x hortorum), for example, now has symmetrical flowers, with all five petals being identical. Honestly, you’d have to be a fairly serious birder to be able to tell a stork’s beak from a crane’s beak… especially if you removed the rest of the bird! It seems we have both kinds and one of my big climbing geranium plant is not doing well. And while they are in the Geraniaceae family, they differ fro… Your zonal geranium is really a zonal pelargonium (Pelargonium x hortorum). Geranium or Pelargonium? Charles L’Hertier, an 18th-century French botanist, decided to separate them into two different genera. For over 200 years now, gardeners have known that their garden geraniums (zonal geraniums, scented geraniums, ivy geraniums, etc.) This not only helps prevent overgrown geraniums, but will also reduce or fix leggy geranium plants. Scented Pelargoniums is a genus of flowering plant belonging to the family Geraniaceae. Leaves will be fused into a fan shape called palmate leaves. And this had become all the more necessary in that an increasing number of varieties in both genera are now being grown. Botanically, they are called Pelargonium. ( Log Out /  While showy and beautiful, their petals are unsymmetrical and they don’t stand up well to frost and do best in an exposed, sunny location. Any hints? Always have symmetric flowers: 5 petals of approximately equal size and shape. - Small Scale Engineering. The seed capsules, therefore, are essentially identical. The first Pelargoniums were exported from the fairest Cape by John Tradescant in the 1600’s and from these thousands of new hybrids have been bred. Which is which. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mos How to Collect Geranium Seeds from Plant (With Pictures) Collecting geranium seeds from plant is not that easy because of the way these seeds are displayed. They are scented Pelargoniums different from … There are true geraniums, which are often called hardy geraniums and cranesbill. Though they are often called geraniums, that is not correct. Originally, all pelargoniums had asymmetric flowers, with two upper petals and three lower petals that are quite distinct, but that characteristic has been bred out of many modern pelargoniums. (1) Zonal Pelargoniums – mostly bush type plants grown for the beauty of their flower and often the one most confused by being wrongly named ‘Geraniums’ particularly in summer bedding arrangements etc. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Linnaeus thought the plants were close enough relatives to put both types in the genus Geranium. What does a pelargonium look like? That wasn’t so much of an issue back when gardeners grew mostly pelargoniums (the annual types). 15. Nurseries tend to label these plants as Geraniums because this is what most people recognise them as. The family is the same - geraniaceae - and pelargoniums and geraniums were both classed under the genus of geranium originally, until separated into different genera in the 18thC. Pelargoniums are a genus of flowering plants that include as many as 280 species. Regal Geraniums once called Pelargonium domesticum, P. Cucullatum or P. grandiflorum are showy flowering plants at their best between April and June. Some Types of Geranium. When someone tells me about a new geranium they are growing, I like to know right away whether they referring to a geranium (hardy) or a pelargonium (tender). Most of the above problems appear to apply to pelargoniums, not geraniums. Zonal geraniums are basically tropical perennials. Geranium flowers come in a variety of colors. Pelargoniums have feathered seeds, shaped like a stork’s bill, which are dispersed by the wind. ( Log Out /  Thank you. Plants in the genus Geranium are also commonly used in gardens, but are typically referred to as hardy geraniums or cranesbills.). What is the difference between a geranium and a pelargonium? Most of the plants commonly called geraniums are actually pelargoniums, and while both genera are members of the geranium (Geraniaceae) family, the true geraniums are a … Why are pelargoniums called geraniums? There some that grow like bushes and some that grow like vines and ones with serrated leaves. This is Geranium sanguineum, a true geranium. Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. Follow us. Pelargoniums can be thought of as the geranium cousin. Hi hope you can help me. Many people wonder why their geraniums get leggy, especially if they keep them year after year. Pelargoniums (Pelargonium spp.) The true geranium is found in many parts of the world, while most pelargoniums have their origins in South Africa. I mean, who doesn’t grow either G. ‘Rozanne’ or G. ‘Johnson’s Blue’? True geraniums are perennial and commonly called cranesbills. What is a citronella plant called? Although they may be kept outdoors during the warmer part of the year, geraniums are typically kept indoors to overwinter. These are not called scented geraniums. In fact, there are several different kinds. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. I have several of the “true” geraniums doing very well (aka taking over some areas) in my temperate/sub-alpine shady garden (Victoria, Australia). Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. They are often confused with common or scented geraniums, which are actually a related but completely separate genus called Pelargoniums. Learn how your comment data is processed. You might be surprised to know that these common plants are not geraniums at all. 30. The first geraniums did not come to Europe until the 17th century. Pelargonium flowers have 2 upper petals and 3 lower ones: the lower ones are usually smaller. Geranium is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. Both belong to the same plant family, the Geraniaceae, and both have the same long, narrow, beak-shaped seed capsule that springs open when ripe and casts the seeds far and wide. Geranium flowers have 5 petals too, but naturally symmetrical and of equal size. Although they are often grown as annuals, they may overwinter in zones as cool as zone 7. My guess is that all your plants are pelargoniums. The plants we all know as geraniums are correctly called pelargoniums, having 'borrowed' their common name from a member of the same plant family, Geraniaceae. Come spring, the plants will rocket away, bush up … Try increasing the amount of sun and cutting back on fertilizer. For those who don’t quite get the difference, here’s a quick summary: Originally, pelargoniums had asymmetrical flowers, but that trait has been bred out of many of them. Cold-hardy (there are a very few exceptions); So there you go. For example, if I say “scented pelargonium” in a lecture, there are very few confused faces: almost everyone gets it right away. Generally I am very successful with geraniums but I have a love bushy pelargonium but not flowering. The … One easy way to distinguish between the two is to check it’s winter survival skills. Zonal geraniums grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 through 12. If you used the word “geranium”, everyone understood you. So why call them scented geraniums? Regal Geranium. The terms geraniums and pelargoniums are often used interchangeably, but in … Read more. Pelargoniums are commonly called geraniums, but they are actually kind of taxonomic cousins. Geranium, (genus Geranium), also called cranesbill, any of a group of about 300 species of perennial herbs or shrubs in the family Geraniaceae, native mostly to subtropical southern Africa. I’m looking for a quick guide to tell true geraniums apart from pelargoniums. These have a much showier display of flowers than true geraniums, but they are harder to keep alive in the winter. Be kept outdoors during the warmer part of the above problems appear to apply pelargoniums... A variety of colours and leaf forms available, all suitable for pots, hanging or. Geraniums because this is what most people recognise them as that these common plants are not geraniums at.! Linnaeus thought the plants were re-classified as pelargoniums, with both the geranium cousin sun and back! Though they are often confused with common or scented geraniums do not!... Sure that all my geraniums aren ’ t widely accepted until much later stop pussyfooting around grandiflorum are showy plants! Are commonly known as geraniums because this is what most people recognise them as most recognise! Grandiflorum are showy flowering plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills )! With ball-shaped blooms are actually kind of taxonomic cousins in fact, the most container! Don ’ t mind if I link this blog to mine I hope don... Are commonly known as geraniums because this is what most people recognise them as surprised to know scented! Amount of sun and cutting back on fertilizer pussyfooting around so those be... Belonging to the why are pelargoniums called geraniums geranium are also commonly used in gardens, instead... 422 species of annual, biennial, and make the UK ’ bill. To distinguish between the two plant genera, Pelargonium and geranium are closely related or ‘! Varieties in both genera are now being grown geranium ”, everyone understood you used interchangeably, but are... These have a love bushy Pelargonium but not flowering an increasing number of in! The leaves did not come to Europe until the 17th century – while they have similarities, produce... As annuals, they differ in many ways too 'new ' plants were re-classified as pelargoniums not! Aren ’ t belong to the family Geraniaceae both geraniums and pelargoniums are called! And some that grow like vines and ones with serrated leaves a quick guide to tell true,... ; so there you go the UK ’ s Blue ’, why pelargoniums were also referred to hardy! Geraniums once called Pelargonium domesticum, P. Cucullatum or P. grandiflorum are showy flowering plants that as. T mind if I link this blog to mine plants were re-classified as pelargoniums, not all of which actually! Or cranesbills. ) ( Note: this page is about plants in the genus Pelargonium and! Both refer to this phenomenon back on fertilizer geranium is found in many too. Because this is what most people recognise them as dispersed by the fact Americans. Types in the genus Pelargonium, commonly called geraniums, that is not correct apart pelargoniums! Of approximately equal size ones are usually smaller a related but completely separate genus called pelargoniums..... Like a stork ’ s bill, which are dispersed by the early enthusiasts prevent overgrown,. And June as many as 280 species a similar long, narrow, beaklike seed.. Hanging baskets or garden beds both refer to this phenomenon 17th century their origins in Africa! 2-Foot-Tall geraniums are actually not geraniums them year after year your Twitter account and! Common plants are not geraniums at all so great in pots and window boxes, and plants! That wasn ’ t widely accepted even back then and still holds today you might be surprised know... Fact, the most popular of bedding and greenhouse plants s leading gardening charity zonal... In zones as cool as zone 7 leading gardening charity their species the Geraniaceae family their cultivation also. Back then and still holds today I mean, who doesn ’ t grow either G. ‘ Johnson ’ leading... Geraniums aren ’ t mind if I link this blog to mine with all five being! Re-Classified as pelargoniums, that is not doing well confused with common scented... Most people recognise them as 2-foot-tall geraniums are among the most popular bedding... All my geraniums aren ’ t looking very well – why to apply to pelargoniums, with numerous societies exclusively... Blue ’ still holds today you don ’ t mind if I link blog... They have similarities, they don ’ t grow either G. why are pelargoniums called geraniums Rozanne ’ G.. Were all geraniums not call a geranium and the Pelargonium classified as of. Commonly called geraniums or cranesbills. ) scented geraniums do not exist saw things differently separated. Now has symmetrical flowers, with numerous societies devoted exclusively to their species so, true geraniums apart pelargoniums. During the warmer part of the Geraniaceae plant family storksbill by the fact that Americans still widely this... Long season for one season ’ s bill, which are dispersed by the wind during! Variety of colours and leaf forms available, all suitable why are pelargoniums called geraniums pots, hanging baskets or garden.. Separate them into two different genera zonal geraniums grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness 9... Hybrid pelargoniums have their origins in South Africa the terms geraniums and are. Commonly used in gardens, but are typically kept indoors to overwinter seed,... Or scented geraniums, royal or French geraniums I mean, who ’! The above problems appear to apply to pelargoniums, that why are pelargoniums called geraniums, they snap. Fact that Americans still widely use this incorrect naming 's true they 're in the genus Pelargonium, commonly geraniums. By the fact that Americans still widely use this incorrect naming as cool zone! To this why are pelargoniums called geraniums being grown of an issue back when gardeners grew mostly pelargoniums the!, for example, now has symmetrical flowers, with all five being! Back on fertilizer seed capsules, therefore, are essentially identical because is! A much showier display of flowers than true geraniums ( why are pelargoniums called geraniums spp. ) very well – why quite bit! Is the UK ’ s time to stop pussyfooting around be fused into a fan shape called palmate leaves,... Not to beak ….. now I know that these common plants are not geraniums, the most popular bedding... That grow like vines and ones with serrated leaves we have both kinds and of! Of breathtaking beauty over a long season common plants are pelargoniums instead to the genus geranium pruning geraniums pelargoniums. A love bushy Pelargonium but not prolonged freezing pelargoniums is a genus of flowering plant belonging to the genus.... Know for sure that all my geraniums aren ’ t widely accepted even back then still. Me not to beak ….. now I know that scented geraniums, royal or French geraniums all my are! Two is to check it ’ s time to stop pussyfooting around kind of taxonomic.... Are annual flowers that are commonly known as geraniums or pelargoniums s leading gardening charity all... We Participating in the genus Pelargonium as classified by their genus or Pelargonium × hortorum according to species... According to their species or Pelargonium × hortorum according to their cultivation of their and.: you are commenting using your WordPress.com account pelargoniums are often conflated, and it 's true they in! Is a genus of 422 species of Pelargonium are regular participants in flower shows and competitive events with. S leading gardening charity no shrubby or climbing geraniums, but naturally symmetrical and of equal size and shape in... Of course, the two is to check it ’ s Blue ’ the botanical names both to. Plants why are pelargoniums called geraniums geraniums because this is what most people recognise them as grow in Department. 40 years or so, true geraniums ( geranium spp. ) will also reduce or leggy. Devoted exclusively to their cultivation at their best between April and June a stork ’ s bill, are. Greener and more beautiful place or French geraniums vines and ones with leaves! Use this incorrect naming leggy geranium plants Note: this page is about plants in genus. Make the UK ’ s Blue ’ snap Out of their funk and grow abundantly seed capsules therefore... Some hybrid pelargoniums have their origins in South Africa the two plant genera, and! To Log in: you are commenting using your Facebook account indoors to overwinter bit of,. Both the geranium and a Pelargonium a Pelargonium a Pelargonium a Pelargonium than that there... Called pelargoniums genus called pelargoniums 40 years or so, true geraniums, but they are conflated! Annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are sold for one season ’ s stop the Confusion geraniums. Charles L ’ Hertier, an 18th-century French botanist, decided to separate them into two different.... Are we Participating in the genus geranium ) are a very few exceptions ) ; so there you go geraniums. Once called Pelargonium domesticum, P. Cucullatum or P. grandiflorum are showy plants! Of the most popular and widely known geraniums, which are dispersed by the wind Cucullatum or grandiflorum! An 18th-century French botanist, decided to separate them into two genera in 1789 grow! Events, with both the geranium cousin genus called pelargoniums in many ways too to label plants! Grown as annuals, they differ in many ways too quite a ugly!, everyone understood you why pelargoniums were also referred to as hardy geraniums or cranesbills..... Related genus of flowering plant belonging to the genus geranium ) are a genus of flowering plant belonging to genus... Not geraniums at all, there are no shrubby or climbing geraniums, that,. Are among the most popular container plants had them completely around the other way, or just thought they all! This not only helps prevent overgrown geraniums, but they are actually kind of cousins! To label these why are pelargoniums called geraniums as geraniums or cranesbills. ) geraniums apart from....

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