"Cheerful 'geraniums'"

Pelargonium types provide a bright splash of colour almost all year round in our Sydney gardens.
Sunday, 29 October 2023     

Potted zonal Pelargonium cultivars in Assisi, Umbria, Italy

One of the most commonly seen plants in Europe in summer seems to be the geranium (properly known as Pelargonium, Zonal Hybrids). They are in pots everywhere: on balconies, windowsills and lined up beside doorways. They are generally grown as annuals through summer, as the winter there is generally too cold for them to survive. Though we do get some foliage disease problems with them here in Sydney, they do grow pretty well here on the whole, and this spring, they seem to have been flowering madly.

These are one of those plants by which I can chart my gardening evolution. As a beginning gardener, I grew many from stolen cuttings, in naive wonderment of these ease of creating a new plant from a stalk and the simple joy of growing a flower. As I moved into my English garden phase, I threw them all out as vulgar, stinky horrors that had no place in my refined borders - I would only grow proper species Geranium types. Sadly, few of these proved suitable for my Sydney garden and nowadays the zonal Pelargonium are back in my garden, their decorative, rounded, fleshy leaves and brilliantly coloured flowers happily at home with other warm-climate plants. For hot-coloured gardens, red and orange-red flowered cultivars can be used to form a wide shrubby mound (up to 60 cm if unpruned) amongst taller plants or an informal row along the front of a low fence. 'Big Red' is an excellent, long-flowering cultivar. It is actually a 'Calliope' Pelargonium: a cross between a zonal Pelargonium and an ivy-leaved Pelargonium, and is more resistant to disease and robust than the regular zonal types, with a semi-trailing habit. (Other 'Big' varieties of different colours, however, don't seem to be as good as 'Big Red', unfortunately.) There are also pretty pastels of pinks or white that fit in with cooler colour themes. There is even a soft pale yellow cultivar, called 'Creamery'. There are single, semi-double and double flower forms, as well as rosebud and star-shaped types. There are literally hundreds of named cultivars, though I have rarely known the names of any of mine.

Like most Pelargonium, these plants are South African in origin, and if trimmed back every so often through the year they will flower almost perpetually in our mild climate. Early to mid-spring is probably their absolute peak time, especially if they have been pruned by around two-thirds in early autumn to allow the development of a good plant structure. They should be tip pruned after the main pruning to develop a compact shape. These plants want sun and light, well-drained soil on the dry side, with good air circulation around them. I do, however, have a bright pink one called 'Shady Lady' that grows well in shade. In general, I have had better success growing them in the garden than in pots, as I found they got too leggy in containers. The miniature forms may be better suited to growing in a pot. If rust or other diseases strike in humid summers, I cut them back and they usually get over it. The 'Deacon' cultivars are said to be disease-resistant.

The so-called fancy-leaved Pelargonium specimens are a subgroup of the zonal type. They have decorative scallop-edged leaves that are banded, edged or splotched with colours including red, yellow, white and brown; some have bronze or even black foliage, and my favourites have golden leaves with dark markings. There are also plain gold-leaved cultivars and miniature-leaf forms. I have discovered that the gold-leaved ones will grow quite well in part or dappled shade, where their foliage will turn a lovely lime colour, which I actually prefer to the brassy hue it has in full sun. The flowers often clash horribly with the leaves so I usually remove these at the bud stage.

Ivy-leafed geraniums (Pelargonium, Ivy-leafed Hybrids) are probably the easiest Pelargonium to grow in Sydney as they are not susceptible to diseases. They have very attractive glossy leaves and are scrambling or trailing plants with similar flowers to the zonal types, in colours of reds, white, pinks, mauves and purple. They can stand moister soil than the zonal geraniums and are excellent used to spill over retaining walls or banks, as a groundcover, as a subject for hanging baskets or to climb on wire fences. They don't need to be cut back as hard as the zonal types, or else they can be cut back by one-third at a time. They also benefit from tip pruning to create a dense form. They can flower almost all year round in our climate. I once saw an amazing sight of a huge specimen of a crimson ivy geranium intertwined with the lilac-flowered climber Petrea volubilis, that stopped me in my tracks (pictured above).

The old-fashioned scented-leaved Pelargonium also do well in Sydney and their foliage captures a truly amazing array of fragrances, so exactly approximating what they are 'mimicking'! Rose, lemon, ginger, peppermint, nutmeg, apple and even coconut flavours exist! The leaves themselves are attractive and have a variety of appealing shapes and textures: the soft velvet of the peppermint geranium (Pelargonium tomentosum) is particularly irresistible. They are delightfully old-fashioned plants, but they have a place in modern gardens as they form sturdy and decorative shrubs in hot, dry places. Many of these plants have pretty blooms during the warm months of the year, usually pink, white or lavender. The flowers are smaller than the other types but appear in a profusion.

I also love regal geraniums (Pelargonium, Regal Hybrids), which flower for a shorter period from mid spring to early summer. The flowers are large and sumptuous and usually have a combination of colours and distinct blotches. They grow a bit taller than the zonal types, with attractive pleated leaves. They need hard pruning after flowering to keep them compact.

The best time for taking cuttings of any of these Pelargonium is in early autumn, when the plants are pruned. I find that it is best to replace them after a few years, as they can get woody with age. Don't overwater them, especially in January and February when it is humid. I give them just a general fertiliser when I do the rest of the garden. Mulching around them with cane mulch is said to help reduce the occurrence of diseases on the leaves.

Blog first published 23 October 2011; updated 29 October 2023.


 Reader Comments

1/16  Therese - 2119 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 24 October 2011

I"ve just renewed my interest in Pelargoniums having purchased some pots as well as taking cuttings to grow.....your tips are timely!! Grazie....nonna Tessa!

Hope they all grow well for you! Deirdre


2/16  Lyn - 4570 (Zone:11B - Tropical) Monday, 24 October 2011

My garden on clay soil needed some sand. A load of sandy loam was full of nut grass, impossible to eradicate. After a year of trying, I began growing geraniums to shade it out. I"m addicted now;Mt Pelargonium, topped by an apricot Brugmansia for shade,is covered in white to pink and purple. Thanks

It sounds great! Deirdre


3/16  Margaret - 2153 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 24 October 2011

Everytime I returned from Europe I bought geranium for hanging baskets. However the plants become sick quickly. So I gave up. Since you mentioned that they grow better in the ground than in pots I will give them another go and plant them in the ground. Thanks

Hope it works out. I have found that some do better than others - usually ones that other people give me cuttings of prove to be the most robust. Deirdre


4/16  Robin - 2121 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 24 October 2011

Having just visited Central Coast gardens and seen spectacular pelargoniums I will strike cuttings in terracotta pots from now on. In full sun and spaced apart, I"m told they grow well in terracotta if kept pruned and replaced every two years or so from cuttings. Loved the blog. Thanks Deirdre

I think pruning and tip pinching are important for good pot specimens, Deirdre


5/16  Valerie - 4160 (Zone:11A - Sub-tropical) Monday, 24 October 2011

Thank you for the article on Geraniums they indeed give a wonderful display in the garden, I too have always been able to get cuttings from friends or from my garden club. I do remember when many years ago holidaying in Spain all the houses had a splash of Geraniums somewhere.

Thanks, Valerie. It is great that they grow so easily from cuttings! Deirdre


6/16  Maree - 2118 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 24 October 2011

Hi, I guess I am the exception, in that I find I am able to grow geraniums in pots, as opposed to in my clay soil, and I have had the same ones for years. The minitures grow well in pots but are very slow growers. The Ivy ones are the easiest and will grow in the ground with lots of pruning.Maree

That is interesting - mine always get very straggly in pots. Perhaps a bigger size may be better. Deirdre


7/16  Margaret - 2122 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Tuesday, 25 October 2011

love geraniums, even the gaudy ones! They grow easily for me, especially the ivy types. Saw fantastic zonal types last Sat. on the cottage garden ramble, garden owner feeds them with dynamic lifter and takes cuttings for new plants every two years.

Thanks, Margaret. I do like the ivy ones too. That ramble sounded very good and I"m sorry I missed it. Deirdre


8/16  Lyn - 4570 (Zone:11B - Tropical) Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Hi Dierdre, For great tips on growing geraniums from cuttings, try http://www.ozgeraniums.com.au Use very small thumb pots, try the week before a full moon, Lyn

Thanks, Lyn. Deirdre


9/16  Rae - 2119 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Sunday, 30 October 2011

My 9 year old has a geranium collection! he has asked all the neighbours for cuttings and has also trimmed some from neighbouring streets! They are very rewarding for him as he can see the benefits of his efforts.

That"s great, Rae! he sounds like a budding gardener! Deirdre


10/16  Margaret - 2122 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 23 October 2017

Still enjoy growing geraniums - they must be one of the easiest plants to grow and to propagate. The array of colours and forms is astounding. A friend from Queensland sent me some cuttings from her plants, including a beautiful pale pink and a cyclamen, which are doing well. This growing season, the geranium "Big Red", always generous with blooms, has excelled itself. I believe there is a "Big Pink", just as good as its cousin, but I have not grown this. Since I wrote this blog, the "Big" geraniums have come on the market and they are superb. I like both the red and deep pink ones.They seem to flower almost all year round. Deirdre


11/16  Helen - 7256 (Zone:10 - Mediteranean) Monday, 23 October 2017

Like you Diedre my gardening started with pelargoniums --from the wonder of being to propagate them so easily & progressed to disdain as they were so common.The way back came thru an interest in herbs & scented pelargoniums --especially love velvety leaved peppermint, lime & lemon- rose scented. Like Maree I grow them mostly in pots--my garden is generally too wet, tho I do have ivy leaved forms in the ground & peppermint under a redwood tree. Also like the variegated miniature, Mme Salleron. Since I wrote the blog, I have started to grow some in pots quite successfully. I also grow more ivy ones now, cascading over a wall. I love the scented-leaf ones too: they are very tough plants. Deirdre


12/16  Marion - 4103 (Zone:11A - Sub-tropical) Monday, 30 October 2023

My parents had an amazingly healthy peppermint scented geranium ( blue mountains), but despite many attempts to grow it in Brisbane, no success. But nostalgia calls, so must have another go! Other scented ones have been very successful. Funny about pelargoniums going in and out of fashion...like you Deidre, I've come to treasure them again. Have you noticed that some seem more susceptible to leaf disease than others? Thanks for such interesting blogs! Hope that one will grow for you. I agree some are much more susceptible to leaf diseases and I now avoid growing those one. Deirdre


13/16  Bren - 2540 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 30 October 2023

Yes I used to be a bit snobbish about the zonal hybrids too. But with age and experience I have become more practical, and now see how useful and cheerful they are, but have found that the hybrids with highly colored leaves can be more delicate. I actually have found that many of the new hybrid Pelargoniums are not very robust at all and I do not try to grow may of these now. Deirdre


14/16  Margaret - 2122 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 30 October 2023

I still like geraniums and I am glad to read you started your collection with 'stolen' cuttings - the best way to go. My pink pelargonium, name unknown, appeared in my bag, mysteriously, while staying at a motel in Glen Innes. The owner? did say I could take a piece! Big red is a favourite and also a pure white ivy geranium. I am intrigued with that one from the motel, Margaret. I have been trying to find its name and I wonder if it is one of the 'Paton's Unique' cultivars - what do you think? It is certainly beautiful and unusual! Deirdre


15/16  Valerie - 2121 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 30 October 2023

Thank you for your info about geraniums. I've just planted some Pelargonium peltatum which the label says is 'Spreading Red'. I'm hoping it will go through and around some nearby Dianthus. You are right about the Big Red. The pink version wasn't a strong grower at all. I love them in pots but I haven't had much luck as they seem to dry out at the top while remaining too wet at the bottom of the pot. Should I try a smaller pot? A smaller pot might work. Or else put some styrofoam or something in the bottom half of your larger and just fill the top half with potting mix. Deirdre


16/16  Margaret - 2122 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Sunday, 05 November 2023

I would love to know the name of the geranium from the motel. Noone I have given a cutting to, is familiar with its name. Maybe you are on the right track and it is one of the 'Paton's Unique cultivars. Thank you for the info.


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