Pelargonium peltatum Ivy-Leaved Geranium PFAF Plant Database

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Pelargonium peltatum - (L.)L'Hér.

Common Name

Ivy-Leaved Geranium

Family

Geraniaceae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Grows in scrub along the coast or on dry rocky hillsides[260].

Range

S. Africa - Cape Province to East London.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Pelargonium peltatum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1.5 m (5ft).
It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from May to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)

Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jan_Moninckx08.jpg

Habitats
South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves. Edible Uses: Leaves and buds - raw or cooked. An acid flavour[2], they are used as a vegetable[105, 177].

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. Astringent. All parts of the plant are astringent[4].

Other Uses
Dye; Essential. A blue indigo dye is obtained from the flower petals. It is used in painting. An essential oil is obtained from the plant.

Cultivation details

Requires a light well-drained neutral to alkaline soil in a sunny position[188, 200]. Not very hardy in Britain, it generally requires greenhouse protection but might succeed outdoors in the mildest parts of the country[1], especially if grown against a sunny wall and given some protection in the winter[219]. They can also be grown in containers that are placed outdoors in the summer and then brought into the greenhouse or conservatory for the winter[238]. The plants need to be kept fairly dry in the winter[200]. Very tolerant of pruning, they can be cut right down to the base in the autumn when bringing them back indoors, or in the spring to encourage lots of fresh growth[238]. There are many named forms, selected for their ornamental value[188].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Stored seed should be sown in early spring in a greenhouse. The seed germinates best with a minimum temperature of 13°c, germination usually taking place within 2 weeks though it sometimes takes some months[200]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. If trying them outdoors, plant them out in early summer and consider giving them extra protection during the winter. Cuttings succeed at almost any time in the growing season but early summer is the best time in order for the new plant to become established before winter.

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Expert comment

Author
(L.)L'Hér.

Botanical References
200

Links / References

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.

Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.

Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.

The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.

An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[188]Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers

Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[219]Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls

A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.

A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[260]Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2

Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
Michael Johnson	Mon Apr 9 2007

there are two Cultivars that i know about Molina '05' and ‘sybil holmes’

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