Pelargonium graveolens
Fragrant geranium
Common names: Rose geranium, Fragrant pelargonium
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 30 cm, rows 40 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Sowing
- Mar–Apr
- Harvest
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 2 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The fragrant geranium, botanically Pelargonium graveolens, is a member of the fragrant geraniums and is best known for its rosy-scented, deeply lobed foliage. It originates from South Africa and is grown as a container plant for sunny balconies and terraces. The delicate lilac to pink flowers are modest, while the leaves are the true attraction: finely hairy, velvety, and intensely fragrant when rubbed. The plant is used in cooking and decoration, for example in tea, jelly, or as leaf garnish on cakes.
Care instructions
The fragrant geranium prefers a sunny, warm spot and loose, well‑draining soil. Water moderately, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings; it does not tolerate waterlogged conditions. From mid‑May (week 20) the plant can be moved outdoors once late frosts are unlikely. It is not winter hardy, so overwinter it in a bright, cool place at 5 to 10 °C, either indoors or in a frost‑free conservatory. A spring pruning encourages bushy growth and fresh, strong fragrance.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–Apr
HarvestJun–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 18 °C, ideally 24 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, sandy, lean, dry
The rose-scented geranium likes it loose and free-draining and cannot tolerate waterlogged soil at all. A lean to moderately nutrient-rich mix of container compost and sand is quite enough for it; soil that is too rich comes at the expense of the scent. A sunny, warm spot with good drainage in a pot or tub is ideal.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
May–Jul
From May to July, a weak dose of diluted nettle feed or mature compost every four weeks is enough. Too much fertiliser makes the plant soft and susceptible and weakens the typical scent of the leaves. From August, stop feeding altogether so that the shoots can ripen before winter.
Overwintering
The rose-scented geranium is not hardy and must come indoors before the first frost. A bright, cool winter spot at 8 to 12 degrees lets it rest; water only sparingly. You can cut back woody shoots in early spring before new growth starts, which keeps the plant compact.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- From seed
The most reliable way to propagate the rose-scented geranium is by tip cuttings in late summer or early spring. Cut non-flowering shoot tips about 8 to 10 cm long, remove the lower leaves and put them in lean, free-draining compost. In a bright, warm spot without direct sun, roots usually form within a few weeks. Sowing is also possible, but takes much longer to produce a strong plant and gives less uniform scents.
For your garden
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