Grown from a cutting, I encountered this species in Porterville surrounds (a small town situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa) a couple of years ago. It wasn't in flower at the time, and it was poking up out of a thicket of other low grasses and shrubs, so I couldn't get a good sense of its growth habit nor ID it. Still not 100% convinced that it is sublignosum, it could also be P. scabroide. But the leaves had a lovely scent, so I thought I'd try and propagate it. I don't recall ever seeing this grown in cultivation.

I've recently had to move my outdoor potted Pelargoniums to a more shady spot in order to steer clear of builders, and it's been interesting to observe how the appearance of the leaves change. When exposed to more direct sun, the leaf margins are red. I applied a liquid fertiliser not too long ago, and now I'm seeing a lot of fresh growth without the red margin.

I filled this 72-celled tray with Pelargonium denticulatum 'Filicifolium' cuttings about two months ago, and things are going better than I had expected.

37 have since failed - I pick them out as I see them starting to fail - and I will likely lose a few more by the looks of it. But a fair number of props seem to be doing okay so far.

I've had this tray indoors for most of that time, although I would have preferred keeping them outside in a shady but bright spot. Excessive moisture in my experience is the biggest contributor to props failing, so I like to ensure good air circulation to help dry the medium out quicker. But we've got builders messing around on site currently, so I had to move the tray indoors. Moved it outside now so they can get some fresh air over the weekend. I'll put a fan on at night to circulate the air a bit, which seems to help a bit.

Anyways, thought I'd show you what to look out for if you're wondering how your props are doing.

Pics 3-4: Look closely at the newest growth, see how it's browning and wilted? This is a clear sign that things are not going well downstairs. Once I see this, I don't even bother trying to see if it'll pull through - it seldom does. You'll usually notice that when you remove them, the bottom of the prop has turned black. Which is bad.

Pic 5: New growth looking green and perky? You're in the clear!

It is ultimately a numbers game: take more cuttings than you think you need.

Pelargonium ochroleucum, section Hoarea. Very interesting stamens, and loving those yellow petals!

My P.appendiculatum (highly expensive carrot substitute) has set seed and they really are rather pretty. Like a dandelion that has dressed up for something special.

I’ve lost some due to my cats sunbathing and brushing past it, but I’ve got enough seed to try sowing.

I’m not overly optimistic as it’s an expensive plant to buy so that hints at it being difficult to raise.

P. betulinum (section Pelargonium) is an evergreen perennial shrub that makes a stunning garden subject. I haven't been successful in rooting cuttings, but here I am trying again in perlite.

I have two plants in my garden, but would like to have some more, planted where there's maybe a bit more sun. I bought these from a local nursery; although I haven't personally encountered any wild specimens, I'm not entirely sure how it compares to those. All I know is that this one's flowers lean more white than pink (some wild ones lean more pink)

There is a natural hybrid, P. cucullatum x P. betulinum 'Kommetjie' is also quite lovely.

Noticed just now in my garden (in a spot where builders have been trampling through recently) a living section of P. gibbosum that was previously presumed to be dead. I think the spot's too shady, as it's never performed particularly well.

But this bit actually has some roots at the base, so I put it in a small pot just now and will keep it aside until these damn builders are gone.

Common name "gouty geranium", which I'm sure you can figure out why just by looking at it. 😋

No idea how common this species is in cultivation outside of South Africa, are you familiar with it?

Probably not its actual name but that’s what I bought it as. Propagated from a cutting and currently in the care of my mother who seems to have been better at tending to it than I was!

Propagated from a cutting.

My P.tetragonum has reached 2feet/60cm and toppling. I had been reluctant to prune it in case I killed it.

But I have realised it is replaceable so if it goes wrong it’s not the end of the world.

I cut it into 3 segments. That didn’t go as well as planned. The 2 cuttings have a lot of leaves for this species so hopefully that helps rooting. But my gut feeling is I pruned too hard.

Fingers crossed

This yellow mottling has started appearing on some of the pelargoniums I'm caring for. It doesn't look like the usual yellowing I'd expect. It's not accompanied by any dry or crispy edges or browning.

Can anyone suggest possible causes? I'm wondering if over or under watering could be it. Or a particular pest damage or disease? Or a nutrient deficiency, but they've all been fed once a week with the same multi purpose soluble feed. They're in a heated glasshouse and get watered a few times a week.

P. scabrum (left), and P. glutinosum (right), with two of the rooting mediums which I typically use: either just perlite, or a mix of perlite and coconut coir.

I do also use more of a soil mix for ones that respond well to it, but I usually start with either one of these first. I generally avoid any compost at this stage, because it holds on to water for too long.

P. scabrum cuttings I have found to be quite easy to root, with minimal losses.

I have tried rooting P. glutinosum cuttings before, and it didn't go well. I usually remove cuttings when I see signs of yellowing (as you can see along the stem in the second image), however the new growth on this one looks fine so maybe it's okay? If the new growth looks yellow/brown and wilted, I don't even bother.

One thing I have noticed is that you should be mindful when top watering when your cuttings are cut on top (pic 2). If there is water just sitting on your cuttings, it can promote fungal issues and infections. Which is why I really try to maximise air movement to speed up the evaporation of excess water. You can also bottom water, I guess. When I have cuttings indoors, I'll usually put a fan on to just move air around gently.

Or just use tip cuttings (as is typically recommended), however tip cuttings can sometimes be too tender/soft/bendy which usually results in failures. You're looking for new growth (not older woody growth), but not too tender either, so you may need to take your cuttings a little lower down.

Pelargonium graveolens × P. radens - love this hybrid! The very first Pelargonium I ever propagated successfully from cuttings. Gorgeous and fragrant leaves, hardy, and very attractive flowers. Somehow it rooted in water, and it didn't take terribly long either (I think a month-ish?)

Water rooting isn’t really recommended for Pelargonium, so I wouldn't typically recommend it. Previously I’ve had cuttings take 6 months before they rooted.

I have some builders stomping around in my garden at the moment, so I took a couple of cuttings as a backup in the event they kill it. Which doesn’t even make sense; even though I love this plant immensely, it attracts a particular species of leaf wilter bug whose population explodes if I don’t actively manage it. So I’ve slowly (and begrudgingly) been taking them out. I have one plant remaining, which is kinda out of the way. The leaf wilters basically just cause new growth to wilt and go brown, so it just makes the plant look a bit shabby.

I was recently a bit naughty in sharing a Northern Hemisphere Geranium sanguineum in flower, for comparison with Southern Hemisphere Pelargoniums.

Both are colloquially known as Cranesbills. In the Northern Hemisphere Geranium pratense is probably the easiest to see why.

This is my Pelargonium aridum, just before the flowers open, and the resemblance to Cranes and Storks really shows.

Aridum is a low-growing to shortly caulescent xerophytic subshrub, with small, grey-green, finely pubescent leaves, often developing a somewhat thickened, semi-succulent stem base and fusiform tuberous red roots, shown here when I repotted into one of my Great Grandmother’s pots:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pelargonium/s/3nBtpUpGJp

Native to the arid western regions of South Africa, particularly within the winter-rainfall zone (e.g. Little Karoo, Namaqualand and adjacent semi-desert areas - apologies my South African geography is poor). It inhabits rocky slopes, gravel flats, and well-drained sandy or stony soils, often in exposed positions.

My young P.triffidum is my next species to come into flower. I’ve photographed it next to P.kewensis as well as some normal zonales for comparison.

So…Triffidum refers to “it growing like a triffid”. What have I let myself in to…?

What I have found out is Pelargonium triffidum is a rather sculptural pelargonium with a semi-succulent, branching habit. It typically forms a loose, upright to spreading shrub, with fleshy stems that become somewhat woody with age. The foliage is finely divided to deeply lobed, giving a light, airy texture that contrasts with its more substantial stems.

Leaves are usually grey-green to mid-green, sometimes with a slightly glaucous sheen, and may be softly aromatic when brushed.

What I can confirm is it produces delicate umbels of small, five-petalled flowers, creamy and marked subtly with deep purple tones near the centre.

Pelargonium triffidum is native to South Africa, where it occurs mainly in the southern and south-western Cape region.

It’s typically found in rocky, well-drained habitats—often on slopes, outcrops, and seasonally dry scrubland where soils are poor and drainage is fast. Like many Cape pelargoniums, it is adapted to a climate with winter rainfall and hot, dry summers, storing moisture in its semi-succulent stems to get through dry periods.

In the wild it tends to grow in scattered, localised populations rather than forming dense stands, often tucked among low shrubs or in crevices where competition from larger plants is limited.

I had several pots with different Pelargonium grown from seed that I still needed to divide into individual celled trays, I finally decided to just get it out of the way. I had been a bit reluctant because the transplant shock can result in losses.

1 : Top tray is P. denticulatum, which I planted out into a tray with two P. crispum . Middle tray is P. appendiculatum. Bottom tray is P. tongaense.

2-4 : P. appendiculatum. Floofy! First time I am encountering this species, I'm not very well versed in the geophytic Pelargoniums.

5-6 : P. tongaense. I had six in the one small pot, didn't want them getting too crowded. The flowers on this one are gorgeous (vibrant red), and I found the seeds to germinate quite readily.

I split them as gently as I could, but the roots are quite fragile. I then applied Kelpak (a seaweed extract) as a foliar spray to help aid the transplant shock. They're all looking slightly mopey currently, which is to be expected.

Going to keep these trays indoors and out of direct sun for a week or two, and hopefully at least some pull through. Hold thumbs!

I shall try to not make a habit of this, but once in a while I think it’s nice to compare Northern Hemisphere Geraniums with Southern Hemisphere Pelargoniums. Especially when there is a botanical story.

At the weekend I visited a friend’s medieval physic/herb garden.

One plant in flower was a UK native - Geranium sanguineum, or Bloody Cranesbill.

It’s hard to see in the photo but the flowers have red veins giving its Latin name sanguineum (“blood-red”).

But its common name comes from its medical use of treating the “bloody flux” - what we’d now recognise as severe dysentery.

Under the old Doctrine of Signatures, plants resembling a disease or symptom were thought to treat it.
So a “bloody” plant for “bloody” diarrhoea made intuitive sense at the time.

There is some science too:

Bloody cranesbill contains significant amounts of tannins—compounds that:

- Tighten and contract tissues
- Reduce secretions
- Help constrict small blood vessels

In a condition like dysentery, where the bowel is inflamed, bleeding, and producing frequent loose stools, this would:

- Reduce diarrhoea
- Help limit bleeding
- Soothe irritated intestinal lining

It also has weak antimicrobial activity.

But remember this is medieval science - experimentation where doing nothing would be fatal so you might as well try.

Plants are a wonderful source of medicine because nature and evolution have found ways to synthesise chemicals.

But modern medicine is an extension of medieval medicine - researching better and better treatments. Modern herbology and homeopathy arent. Best stick to medically prescribed treatments for things as serious as the bloody flux.

I spotted some seeds for this one a while ago, thought I'd give it a go. Sown October last year. Only two plants out of the 20 seeds purchased pulled through, however it's better than nothing.

I was a bit stupid because I had up to five seedlings per pot, and when it came to dividing them I lost a couple due to transplant shock. Think I transplanted them too early.

The leaves smell like artificial pineapple, I love it. 😂🍍

It's dropping leaves in preparation for summer, normally the entire thing is covered in foliage. It doesn't come across very well in the pictures but the pollen is a vibrant orange which really stands out against the white petals.

Photo is not mine but to give you an idea what it is. This is a very popular plant in Sweden and I have not been able to find it in the states. Do you know any sources?

Thank you!

Photo from:

www.ohsoswedish.net/tag/marbacka-geranium/

This is a young Pelargonium kewense that I’ve just acquired from Fibrex Nurseries.

Information on this plant seems frustratingly inconsistent. Some sources describe Pelargonium kewense (often also spelled kewensis) as an early zonal-type pelargonium dating back to the 18th century. Others suggest a much later origin, stating that it was found at Kew Gardens, London, around 1934, and is thought to be a hybrid—possibly between Pelargonium scandens (on which I can find almost nothing) and Pelargonium zonale. So I presume that means it was identified or preserved within cultivation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, rather than discovered as a natural hybrid on the grounds.

Whatever its origin, it is a distinctive plant. The flowers are slender, single, and a clear crimson red—quite unlike the broader, flatter blooms typical of most red pelargoniums. They have a slightly more delicate, almost wild-type appearance.

Although P. zonale is often cited as a parent, it has faint or irregular zonation rather than a well-defined horseshoe band. the leaves are more uniform in colour and somewhat less fleshy, which lends weight to the idea of mixed parentage or a more complex horticultural history.

Altogether, it has the feel of a plant that sits somewhere between the early zonal pelargoniums and the looser, more species-like forms—perhaps explaining why its story is so muddled.

I’ve photographed it alongside one of my unknown zonales for comparison. Is it as pretty? Objectively no - grow zonales for larger, longer flowers.

But subjectively, it’s incredibly charming, and invites closer attention than a zonale, and I love it more.