Gardener's Notebook: Are geraniums and pelargoniums different?

YORKTON  -  Last time we had tea, we talked about geraniums. A very observant gardener asked what is the difference between geraniums and pelargoniums? Quite often the two names are used interchangeably, but what is the difference? Is there a difference?

It’s one of those discussions that can turn long and complicated for gardeners. The five-dollar name of this plant family is Geraniaceae, and that includes both sets of cousins, the hardy and the more tender. And that is where their main difference is.

‘Geraniums’ in horticultural-language are the hardy geraniums that we think of as perennial geraniums in the garden. These are called the ‘true geraniums’ which will get many, many gardeners saying ‘but wait a minute!’

So moving on. ‘Pelargoniums’, in horticulture language, are the more tender plants that we have and likely always will call ‘geraniums’. They’re considered annuals and if not brought indoors in the fall, they will freeze and perish, unlike their perennial cousins.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter if we call the tender cousins ‘geraniums’. Everyone knows what they are, feels comfortable using the name, and they are of the same family. These beloved plants are almost like members of the family; I know some determined gardeners have kept the same geraniums for years and years.

So if someone asks us “what’s the difference between a geranium and a pelargonium” we will know what to say!

(As a side note, a funny little story. One spring, when I was looking at the spring offering of plants at a local store, a woman near by was also perusing the plants, looking at the tags, and muttering to herself. Then she glanced up and said in a most disgusted tone “these aren’t geraniums, they’re pelargoniums!” Meanwhile, I, your faithful scribe, was enjoying the pleasure of seeing these delightful new plants after a long winter, and was enjoying the whole experience, no matter what the tag said! As a very great writer once said, a rose by any other name is just as sweet. So as that gardener stormed down the aisle, scowling and empty-handed of either geranium or pelargonium, I wondered if the day brought her any joy at all. I doubt it! )

Geraniums are a very versatile plant and have gone way beyond being the predictable red geraniums. There are dozens of colors of geraniums, and some are fragrant. There are the ivy geraniums, and zonal geraniums. Many gardeners think that this refers to geraniums that perhaps are hardy in different zones, but guess what? Zonal geraniums are like traditional geraniums (pelargoniums), and the term ‘zonal’ also refers to the ‘zone” or band of darker green or green-ish black on each leaf.

And if you want to enjoy geraniums in a new and exciting way, look for the fancies: the fancy-leaf geraniums that look beautiful in containers, even if they never had a bloom. Some varieties that I saw in my homework included the stunning “Alpha” with lime-green leaves sporting a burgundy band; or ‘Mrs. Cox’ that has green, red and yellow splotchy leaves; or ‘Persian Queen’ a bright and beautiful chartreuse. These are not your run-of-the-mill geraniums, and if gardeners want the dependability of the geranium with a whole new look, look to the fancy-leaf varieties.

Whew, we could go on and on about geraniums! Let’s try to try a new kind this spring! Visit the Yorkton Hort society at www.yorktonhort.ca . Thank you to YTW for their great local reporting each week. Have a nice week!