| pelargoniums | The
plants known as pelargoniums are all classified (botanically and in
horticulture) within the genus Pelargonium.
They are all usually said not to be frost-hardy, although when not
grown in a glasshouse most Zonal cultivars seem to take up to 2 degrees of
frost. Wet
conditions are far more likely to see them die. Of the hundreds of
species most of the wild forms
come from Africa, particularly southern Africa, with the highest number
from the Cape Province. However there have been many thousands of
cultivars breed from just a few of these wild species and these are
grown by enthusiasts and ordinary gardeners in the cool and warm
temperate areas particularly of Europe and North America, but also
Australia. Although there
is quite a range of types of cultivars they are all quite similar in comparison
to the wild plants. However they are different enough for
"classes" being differentiated with divisions within these in
some cases. The zonal class has many sub-divisions. Others are ivy-leaf,
angel, scented leaf, regal, hybrid ivy leaf (crossed with zonal),
unique, as well as species which are all put together in one class for
"showing". Because of uncertainty of how to classify these species by some botanists in previous centuries, they were linked with plants of the Geranium genus, and the common name of geranium has clung on and is still used by some today. Some nurseries and writers still use geranium on the basis that the ordinary gardener wouldn't know what a pelargonium was, but a recent poll of the Garden News paper readers (ordinary gardeners) overwhelmingly overturned the editorial approach to change the name of their previous "Geranium" column to Pelargonium. |
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| geraniums | A
plant described as a geranium could still be a frost-sensitive pelargonium
(Pelargonium), or
a frost-hardy geranium (Geranium), sometimes called cranesbill. The wild
Geranium forms
come from the temperate regions around the world, including China. There are
some wild forms from South Africa, which tend to be a little more tender
and not reliably hardy in wetter parts of Europe. There are far less cultivars in the Geranium
genus, although the numbers have been increasing recently. If you see the word geranium used anywhere that you do not know for certain is referring to hardy geraniums (or Geranium) then is most probably referring to pelargoniums, so beware, and ask, if you can.. |
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1st January 2009
The pelargoniums
and geraniums website was originally created and maintained by David Barrett to increase internet
information and knowledge of pelargoniums and geraniums. Previously this
included Specialist Societies and clubs, websites and shows with some
photographs. All information is welcome, as are comments on any future developments you would like to see. Please email it to me. Please report broken links, faults
or errors here.
Copyright © David Barrett