Pelargonium - Traditional Uses

Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants commonly used in traditional medicine.

Pelargonium FAQ

Image credit: worldoffloweringplants.com

What is Pelargonium used for?

Scented-leafed pelargoniums can be used to flavor jellies, cakes, butters, ice cream, iced tea and other dishes, The rose-, lemon- and peppermint-scents are most commonly used. Also used are those with hints of peach, cinnamon and orange. Commonly used lemon-scented culinary species include P. crispum and P. citronellum.

Is Pelargonium a geranium?

Pelargoniums is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the Geraniaceae family and is often referred to as geranium. There are over geranium species and countless cultivars, each with its unique features and characteristics.

Is Pelargonium a perennial?

Pelargonium are evergreen perennials indigenous to Southern Africa, and are drought and heat tolerant, but can tolerate only minor frosts. They are extremely popular garden plants, grown as bedding plants in temperate regions. The first species of Pelargonium known to be cultivated was P. triste, a native of South Africa.

Are zonal geraniums pelargoniums?

Your zonal geranium is really a zonal pelargonium ( Pelargonium x hortorum ). For over 200 years now, gardeners have known that their garden geraniums (zonal geraniums, scented geraniums, ivy geraniums, etc.) were actually pelargoniums, that is, they don’t belong to the genus Geranium, but instead to the genus Pelargonium. It was a simple mistake.