 A Geranium, by any other name ... Is a Pelargonium
by Barbara Puchala
For centuries, we’ve been calling them geraniums, ever since 1753 when the Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus started botanical nomenclature by classifying plants. He described 20 pelargoniums in his publication. It was assumed that these plants were all geraniums and so they were placed under the genus geranium. He lumped all the geraniaceae family of plants as geranium not differentiating between geraniums and pelargoniums.
It was some time before the differences were established as separate and different enough to warrant a separate classification. By then, “Geranium” was pretty much established and there was much reluctance to the introduction of a new classification called Pelargonium (probably because it is a much more difficult word). And so it remained.
Botanists later established five genera in the geraniaceae family – two of which are Pelargonium and Geranium.
So what is in a name? In the case of these two plants, plenty.
In the most simplistic terms – that which we call a geranium is a pelargonium!
Within the pelargonium group are many different varieties. In addition to the well known ‘common’ zonal, the fancy, frilly and showy Regals; the Fancy Leaf varieties present colourful blooms and colourful leaves, Scented pelargoniums provide a wide variety of scents for the garden, potpourri, cooking; the Ivy Pelargoniums are indispensible for providing season long colour in hanging baskets and wall pockets; Stellars with their star-like flowers provide a hint of the exotic, and there are more. And they come in a number of sizes ranging from three to four feet (and taller) to 4 or 5 inches.
In this article we will talk about Zonals and Regals. These are the two varieties that have been featured as part of the logo for the Stoney Creek Horticultural Society.
It is hard to identify the exact named cultivar from a drawing, but it is possible to identify the fact that both are ‘pelargoniums’ – one a zonal and one a regal.
The Zonal pelargonium is the most common and easiest to recognize. Mention ‘geranium’ to most people and they immediately think of a red geranium growing on a cottage window sill, or contained in municipal planting beds (which is why they are also often referred to as ‘bedding geraniums’). Those colourful blooms that fill public gardens, hanging baskets, containers and pots are pelargoniums.
However they come in hundreds of named varieties - covering all the colours except yellow.
The leaves also go beyond the just green with zonal marking - some edged with white or yellow – others having green, gold and bronze markings and a whole range in between.
During our plant sale, the most frequent remark you hear is “I didn’t realize there were so many different kinds.” Every year there are new introductions. Many just don’t have what it takes, but there are many that end up being on everyone’s keeper list.
Regals which are often referred to as “Martha Washington's” most commonly in the United States, are extremely popular. Stores and nurseries are filled with an incredible choice in the spring and it is often difficult to pick one. When “Regals” were first introduced in the United States, they included an extremely popular variety called “Martha Washington.” The public started to refer to all regals as “Martha Washington” and the name has stuck. This particular variety of regal has been lost. However this group is correctly called Regals. They now come in hundreds of different colour combinations. They continue to be very popular because of their showy and eye-catching display of blooms. Not all Regals are big and showy, some are smaller with less showy blooms but carry as much impact when in bloom.
Regals require a bit more attention than zonals. They are not as fond of heat and prefer to be sheltered from the direct mid-day sun with their roots on the cooler side.
Geraniums are those plants that are often referred to as ‘hardy geraniums’. They are completely different from the pelargoniums. It is hard to believe that they are in the same plant family. They too have their own charms. They are usually directly planted in the garden and come back year after year and are one of the true staples of a garden. It is possible to grow these in containers as well. There is a wide variety of plants suitable for any number of garden conditions.
They were viewed as pretty uninspiring plants with pretty non-descript blue or pink flowers - nothing to write home about. Some of the newer varieties are proving that these plants can hold their own in any garden with large, colourful blooms and long blooming times. Some will bloom all season, while others will give you a show worth celebrating for a few weeks. They are definitely worth a look.
There are geraniums of every size – ranging from small tiny plants suitable for rockeries to large plants that will reach 2 to 3 feet in height and width.
There are compact plants which respect their neighbours and ones that go awandering poking out about the vicinity.
There is so much more to say about these wonderful plants. They are the unsung heroes of the garden.
They have all the attributes of the ideal plant – easy to care for, few pests and diseases, fairly drought resistant and have no problem dealing with neglect. They provide lots of colour, and when done blooming, they continue to add a rich green background for all the other plants. What more could you ask for?
About the Author:
Barbara Puchala is President of the Canadian Geranium and Pelargonium Society which is located in Vancouver, BC. She was first introduced to the amazing pelargoniums at one of the Society’s annual Plant Sales some 15 years ago. When she left the sale, the Society was much richer and her wallet was well depleted. Ever since, these plants have been the mainstay of her garden. During the summer, her small city garden and deck feature a display of colour comprising of over 80 large containers, hanging baskets and wall pockets featuring over 65 varieties of pelargoniums.
While her garden is home to a variety of geraniums, her greatest challenge is finding more space for more plants, and convincing visitors to her garden that there is no such thing as too many pelargoniums.
The Canadian Geranium & Pelargonium Society has a website at http://www.cdngeraniums.com and they are happy to answer any questions concerning geraniums and pelargoniums. If ever you visit Vancouver, please come and visit.
Read the entire February Green Thumbs.
Visit the 2010 Green Thumbs Newsletter Archive (2010-09-19) |
