History of the Geranium

What do we envision when we hear the word “geranium?” Most of us picture bright red lollipops on stiff stems jutting out from a clutch of waxy leaves. But it’s not fair to this versatile plant to pot it up with a “spike” and call it a day. Whether you call them by their common name, geranium or their botanical name, Pelargonium, you certainly can’t call these South African natives boring.

Most Americans today aren’t aware of huge array of leaf types and colors, sizes and cultural preferences. A little geranium history is in order. Pelargoniums appeared on the radar in America in the late 18^th century when Thomas Jefferson sent a plant from France to Philadelphia horticulturist, John Bartram. In Europe, they became the darlings of the 19^th century. Fanciers in France and England busily hybridizing thousands of cultivars.

The Past

According to Faye Brawner in her book, Geraniums: The Complete Encyclopedia, the English nursery, J. H. Canell & Sons listed hundreds of Pelargoniums in its 1910 catalog. All but a handful have been lost to the trade.

During the first and second world wars, decorative plants took a backseat to edibles.  Many of the people who’d been tending the ornamental gardens went into military service. Add to that the massive destruction during both wars, and it’s no wonder so many varieties were lost. Brawner says it was lucky that hobbyists and commercial growers from Europe sent a number of cultivars to the U.S. before WWI and WWII. Well after WWII, The English National Pelargonium Collection, held at Fibrex Nursery, collected the varieties that had been safely ensconced in the U.S.

Current Day

Today, there are more than 1,500 different plant species and cultivars housed in the facilities located in Stratford-Upon-Avon, including examples from South Africa, Australia, and the U.S.

Gardeners in the U.S. have just recently been treated to a few of the varieties that are much more common in Europe. I’ve been able to find some of the fancy-leaved varieties at brick and mortar nurseries in the Midwest, but have had to go further afield for those that stray from the quotidian. It has been worth it.

I haven’t regretted ignoring the winter by installing a few plant lights and ordering some early spring blooming Pelargoniums. The Angel types begin blooming around mid-April, a good thing because they prefer a cooler climate than the others.

Here is a list of some hybrids:

• Cy’s Red: Unknown species hybrid with very finely divided leaves and light pink flowers with crimson-red streaks up and down all petals.
• Fringed Jer’rey: Small Angel type with three-pointed petals of deep reddish-purple with a pink margin.
• Imperial Butterfly: Large Angel type with white flowers streaked with maroon feathering on the upper petals.
• Lotusland (or Lotus Land): Fancy-leaf Stellar hybrid with variegated leaves
• Madame Butterfly: Zonal fancy-leaf with silver variegated leaf and crimson flowers
• Madame Layal: Pansy-face Angel, flowers with upper petals of dark violet-purple fading to rose and white; lower petals violet-rose on a white background.
• Pampered Lady: Angel with small crinkled dark green leaves. Its flowers also have ruffled deep purple upper petals and pale cherry lower petals with a fine white edge.
• Vancouver Centennial – one of the most widespread Zonals with amazing patterns on its leaves. It also grows well in Mediterranean climates.

Hybridizers have been combining the stiff and upright Zonal types with those sparsely lax varieties called “ivy geraniums.” Although the first record of this type of cross was found in the mid-1800s, today’s breeders have found the resulting modern hybrids to be the answer to hot, humid climates.