Species-Ivies-Zonals-Scenteds

SPECIES/SPECIES HYBRIDS
This catchall category is from Geraniums: The Complete Encyclopedia by Fay Brawner, an excellent resource. All should be included in the super drought tolerant plant palette.

Pelargonium cotyledonis

Pelargonium ionidiflorum (Fairy Cascades)
Almost non-stop sequence of small dark rose pink blooms. Finely dissected trailing dark green foliage to 6” high, 12”-15” around. Takes high heat and cold temperatures into the upper teens.

Pelargonium sidoides ‘Burgundy’

Often erroneously sold as P. sidoides. (The true species develops a tuber and has black flowers that are fragrant at night.) ‘Burgundy’ has mounding rosettes of soft grey foliage and a 10-month per year display of deep burgundy blooms on slender 12-15” tall stalks. Excellent border plant, with irises or succulents or to replace the dead heucheras you keep trying.

Pelargonium 'Burgundy Lady’

Pelargonium ‘White Lady’

From Jay Kapac, a California hybridizer, comes this excellent small slope or ground cover. Just when everything is at its Winter worst, White Lady’s bright fern green foliage looks Spring fresh. A carpet of small pure white blooms appears in waves Spring-Fall.

Tweedledee

One of our all time favorites. Dark glossy green foliage with darker zonal markings to 15”-18” tall, topped by a solid mass of peach to salmon pink blooms. Blooms more than 9 months per year. Also available in five-gallon.

IVIES (PELARGONIUM X PELTATUM)
Ivy pelargoniums are available from an abundance of sources, so we just grow a few.  All prefer to grow within ten miles of the ocean and thrive in immediate seacoast conditions.

Double Burgundy

Sevilana
This variety came to us from a grower in Israel. It seems to tolerate dry heat better than many of the ivies.  We love its abundance of pure red (not pinkish) blooms, and have planted it to cover the lower part of ‘Altissimo’ and ‘Valentine’s Day’ climbing roses.

ZONALS
These are the classic red or orange plants most people envision when they hear ‘geranium’.  Rounded felty leaves usually have a darker “zone” pattern, hence the name.  Zonals are very heat tolerant, but can suffer from rust closer to the coast.  Since we don’t spray for rust, we grow only the most rust-resistant.

Distinction
The classic red-flowered zonal, but with cleaner, disease resistant leaves that have crisp dentate edges.  Heirloom variety.

Formosa (Formosum)
Delicate and exotic looking, but tough as can be.  Dissected olive green foliage and a profusion of fringed, peach colored blooms.

Frank Headley
Familiar 18”-24” tall shrub with a profusion of salmon blooms set off by dark green leaves with white variegation.

Golden Staph

Mrs. Henry Cox

Famous "fancy leaf" zonal with wild multi-colored foliage (cream, green, yellow and even red) and warm pink blossoms.

Redondo

A compact, more intense colored version of the typical zonal. Deep green leaves with nearly black zonal markings and deep red-orange flowers.

Vancouver Centennial

Well known dwarf fancy-leaf zonal. Bronze foliage with chartreuse edges and orange blooms. Likes part shade, not intense heat.

SCENTEDS
Add fragrance to your plant palette with this diverse group of pelargoniums. For best fragrance effect, locate plants where the reflected heat off of masonry or the casual touch of a passerby releases the aroma. To smell a scented pelargonium, do not lead with your nose or pinch or smash foliage.  Gently touch a leaf between a thumb and finger. Your touch will pick up some of the aromatic oils, and the heat of your finger releases the fragrance. Smell the finger.  Repeat.  Most of us can smell eight scented pelargoniums before washing our potpourri hands and starting over.

BORDER AND SMALL GROUND COVER SCENTEDS

Aardwyck Cinnamon

Apple

Aroma

The scented with the most formal growth habit. Tidy perfect 6”-8” tall mounds look like clipped olive green mounds of double curly parsley. Strong woodsy fragrance. Pure white blooms.

Curly

Nutmeg

Pink Spice
The longest blooming scented. Loose mounds of fresh apple green foliage 6”-9” tall x 12”-15” wide are covered with tiny soft pink blooms held just above the foliage.

Tutti Frutti

Variegated Nutmeg
Many variegated plants belong in collections not gardens. This one has many uses. The loose, spreading grey-green 9”-14” tall foliage with random creamy variegation looks great in front of tall bearded irises. It will cascade over a small wall or edge of a pot and is a nice foil for the bold shapes of agaves or dark phormiums.

LARGE GROUND COVER/VINING SCENTEDS

Peppermint (Pelargonium tomentosum)
This is one of the most versatile and underused pelargoniums. Trained up a pillar or on an espalier, it releases a fresh, welcoming scent. It will blanket a steep, rocky slope or spread over oak, sycamore or pepper tree roots in deep, dry shade. We have it planted with fuchsias and camellias on one slope, and with Coast Live Oak, Geranium maderense and Clivias on another. The fuzzy 2”-4” diameter “puppy ear” leaves invite touching, which releases the true peppermint fragrance. Fast growing to at least 4’ around, this plant will burn in full sun inland. Temperatures below 28°F will cause damage. Also available in 5-gallon.

Chocolate Peppermint (Chocolate Mint)
Sorry, the chocolate refers to the handsome dark markings (very similar to some tiarella and rex begonia patterns) on the deeply lobed fuzzy leaves, especially in new growth. This cross of peppermint with oak leaf pelargonium grows less vigorously than peppermint and is happiest in part shade.

SHRUBBY SCENTEDS

Charity

Dr. Livingston

Ginger

Lemon Fancy

A tidier, more garden friendly version of ‘Mabel Gray’ or ‘Citrosum’ (neither of which actually repel mosquitos as claimed). This erect single or multi stemmed shrub  to 28” tall has 2-3 inch in diameter rough palmate leaves with an intense clean lemon fragrance.

Lime

Prince Rupert Variegated

Prostrate Oak Leaf

Rober's Lemon Rose

Strawberry

©Greenwood Daylily Gardens, Inc ~ 8000 Balcom Canyon Road ~ Somis, CA 93066
Tel: 562-494-8944 ~ Fax: 562-494-0486 ~ greenwoodgarden.com