A range of bright colors and interesting leaves make geraniums an excellent perennial to include in the garden and in containers. For any part of the garden, whether sunny or shady, and with many types to choose from, geraniums and pelargoniums are a popular choice. Lorin Nielsen will take you through the types and how to grow them.Brightly-colored in shades ranging from common pinks and reds through deep dusky blues and violets, geraniums are a common sight in most gardens today. The term “geranium” itself is a bit misleading, because there’s actually two separate genuses that are considered geraniums. But we’ll go into that in more detail shortly!
Whether you are simply looking for a perennial that can create a plethora of bright and wildly-colored flowers or one that smells like cinnamon or spices, you can find a geranium that will suit you. Let’s explore this aromatic and beautiful perennial in detail!There are two types of herbs that are called geraniums: true geraniums, which are part of the Geranium genus, and those in the Pelargonium genus. Both are part of the Geraniaceae family, and are related if not identical. Both of are often confused for one another.
The majority of what gardeners consider to be geraniums are actually Pelargonium genus plants. True Geraniums are often referred to as crane’s bill or wild geraniums, and sometimes as hardy geraniums as they’re a bit more cold-resistant. We’ll cover a bit of both here! While geraniums are native to most of the world, pelargonium has its origins in South East Africa, Australia, the Middle East (Turkey in particular), and parts of South Asia. There are many hybrids available now that have been developed in various parts of the world, and these are the more popular varieties sporting bigger and brighter blooms as well as being pest- and disease-resistant.