Perennial
Zonal pelargonium
Pelargonium × hortorum
A frost-sensitive pelargonium with upright growth and bold flower clusters. In cold climates it provides seasonal colour in beds and containers but can be kept for further years. It flowers best in sun with good drainage.
- Size
- 0.3–0.9 m high · 0.25–0.6 m wideVaries by cultivar
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Winter
- Frost sensitive
- Seasonal form
- Evergreen
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Before planting
- Choose a sunny site and a container with drainage holes or a well-drained bed.
- Plan to move the plant into a bright, frost-free space before frosts arrive.
- Keep cats and dogs from eating the plant; seek veterinary advice after suspected ingestion. Contact may irritate sensitive skin.
Why choose it
- Bold flower clusters colour beds, window boxes and pots during the warmer part of the year.
- Cultivars vary in colour, vigour and compactness.
Care
- Water moderately, letting the compost dry slightly between waterings; do not leave roots in standing water.
- Remove spent flower clusters and feed container plants during growth, following the fertiliser label.
- Adjust winter watering to the light and temperature; do not keep the compost constantly wet.
Good to know
- It is a perennial in suitable conditions, although often grown for just one season. It retains its leaves when kept frost-free.
- It is not a hardy Geranium; similar common names do not imply the same frost tolerance.