Geraniums in America are annuals popular in summer window boxes and whiskey barrels, although botanical purists refer to the plants by their true name, pelargoniums. In any case, “pretty pellies,” as the Brits like to call them, are popping into favor once more.
RED GERANIUM
(Pelargonium ‘Calliope Large Red’)
Height: 16 to 20 inches
With regular deadheading, this classic pushes out blooms all summer until the first frost. Leaning toward something less showy? Remove all the flowers on Monday, and by Friday you’ll have the perfect balance of red and green.
AFRICAN OR CAPE GERANIUM
(Pelargonium sidoides)
Height: 10 inches
This delicate beauty features burgundy-colored flowers with gray leaves no larger than a quarter. Extracts from the root are said to reduce symptoms of the common cold, bronchitis, and dysentery.
ROSE-SCENTED GERANIUM
(Pelargonium graveolens)
Height: 3 feet
Used for centuries to make rose geranium oil, this fragrant pellie is worth keeping indoors over the winter. Also check out its cousin, P. tomentosum, laden with a refreshing peppermint scent.
MARTHA WASHINGTON GERANIUM
(Pelargonium x domesticum ‘Martha Washington’)
Height: 1 to 3 feet
More suitable as a houseplant, this hybrid geranium produces crimson and blush-pink flowers that don’t last long, although they sure are plenty.
AMETHYST IVY GERANIUM
(Pelargonium peltatum ‘Royal Amethyst’)
Height: 10 to 12 inches
This trailing geranium evokes the whitewashed buildings of Andalusia, flush with flower-studded vines dripping from balconies. And it can handle the boiling summer sun, too.
MRS. COX GERANIUM
(Pelargonium ‘Mrs. Henry Cox’)
This Technicolor standout comprises salmon pink flowers and triple-toned leaves. It was first developed in 1879 by a certain Mr. Henry Cox, who apparently never married. Yet another Victorian-era mystery!
AMERICANA WHITE GERANIUM
(Pelargonium zonale ‘Americana White’)
Height: 14 to 16 inches
Sort of like a whiff of Coco Chanel crossed with Russell Page, this white variety is the quintessence of elegance, ideal for a moon garden or in big pots around a sparkling blue pool.
Tips
- Deadhead geraniums often and don’t use clippers, as they can leave unsightly stubs. Most varieties produce flower stems that can be easily snapped off with your fingers.
- Geraniums, which originated in South Africa, like to be on the dry side, but not bone-dry.
- Apply fish emulsion or a liquid organic flower fertilizer regularly.
- Many geraniums root easily in water or Perlite with rooting hormone.
- For overwintering, repot geraniums in clay pots and bring them to a sunny spot indoors before the first frost.
