THE PELARGONIUM FAMILY

By Marilyn A. Holt of Holt Geraniums

There are many distinct groups in the pelargonium family - the largest of which are the 'zonals'.

 

DISTINCT GROUP DESCRIPTION
ZONALS Regular sized and shaped zonal pelargoniums. Known as 'bedding geraniums'. Called 'zonals' because of the dark zone markings on the leaves.

 

TYPES OF ZONALS:

FANCY LEAF The leaves are not the regular green and the zone markings are absent or a little different, as in 'Distinction'.
TRI-COLOURED Where there are at least three colours in the leaves, i.e. green, cream/white with red/brownish red zone markings.
GOLD LEAF Where the leaves are a golden green colour instead of the regular dark green. Usually zone markings are absent but some have mahogany zone markings.
SILVER LEAF Where the leaves are edged with either a wide or thin band of white or cream. In some specimens the veins are white or cream.
UNUSUAL FLOWERED Where the flowers resemble either carnations (carnation flowered), rosebuds (rosebud flowered), tulips (tulip flowered), speckled as on a bird's egg (bird's egg flowered), etc.
DWARF When grown in a maximum size pot of 4-1/2 inches, the plants are under eight inches in height. These are good window sill plants. They also come in tri-coloured, gold/green and fancy leaf.
MINIATURE When grown in a maximum size pot of 3 inches, the plants are under five inches in height. These are touchier to grow than the dwarf zonals but bloom just as readily. They also come in tri-coloured, gold/green and fancy leaf.
STELLARS Stellars, although different from regular zonals, are in fact a zonal. They have unusual shaped leaves which are sharply lobed. Some have zone markings some do not. The flowers also have unusual shaped petals; the bottom three being wider and wedge shaped, the top two much narrower and usually coming to a point. Stellars are also found in dwarf and gold leaf. New introductions have flowers that are speckled and splashed.

OTHER DISTINCT GROUPS THAT ARE NOT ZONALS:

 

DISTINCT GROUP DESCRIPTION
FORMOSUM (FINGER FLOWERED) The leaves are deeply lobed and almost looks ferny. The flowers are usually single with all petals being the same and evenly spaced around the centre. The petals are usually narrow.
SCENTED LEAF The leaves have a distinct scent, i.e. rose, peppermint, cocoanut, lemon, etc.
REGALS Erroneously known as 'Martha Washington'. Large notched leaves and large flowers that come in a wide variety of colours. There are variegated leaf regals available. Regals also come in 'small flowered' varieties, known as 'decorators' in England.
ANGELS The original Angels that were hybridized by the late Langley-Smith, were a cross between the scented Pelargonium Crispum (lemon scented) and a regal called 'The Shah'. Others have crossed various other species to other regals, or angels to angels to get the varieties available today. They come in a wide variety of colours and sizes. Some of the new introductions do not resemble angels at all though their hybridizers call them 'angels'.
UNIQUES These plants are a cross between Regals and 'Old Scarlet Unique' originally. There are plants now available that are crosses between two different uniques. Uniques bloom even when the weather is hot and are popular because they outbloom regals. Their flowers are not as magnificent as regal flowers though.
IVY LEAF You usually see these in hanging baskets. The come in a selection of colours and sizes from regular to dwarf, and the leaves come in plain, gold leaf or variegated.
IVY x ZONAL These plants trail somewhat but not as much as the regular ivy leaf pelargonium. The plants and flowers are large.
FRUTETORUM HYBRIDS These are 'frutetorum' crosses and are semi-trailing or sprawling, but not as much as an ivy leaf pelargonium. These plants are also known as 'cascades' in England.
SPECIES Most are from South Africa, some are from Australia. The plants from which our zonals, ivy leaf, scented leaf, etc. come from. Most are for the experienced grower only as careful attention must be paid to their cultural requirements.
SPECIES HYBRIDS These are not species but are hybrids of two different species or a species and a zonal, etc. Most of these are for the experienced grower only as careful attention must also be paid to their cultural requirements.