Family: Geraniaceae
Common name: Rose geranium, Sweet scented geranium, Rose-scent geranium, Old-fashioned rose geranium
Rose geranium is a flowering plant with beautiful aromatic leaves grown for their essential oils and small pink flowers. They are grown as ornamentals and also for commercial purposes to make perfumes and essential oils for aromatherapy.
They are native to South Africa and grow well in most tropical and subtropical countries.
Plant Characteristics
Rose Geraniums are short, bush-like plants that only grow to a height of 40-60 cm with a heavily branched stem that gives the plant its bushy appearance. The stem is green, sturdy, and upright with a slightly woody texture towards the base of the plant.
Leaves of the Rose Geranium are quite beautiful and unique – finely divided, deeply lobed with a velvety texture and a heavy scent. They are green in color, about 10-15 cm in length.
These leaves are arranged alternately on the stem and have a serrated margin. Rose Geranium leaves have 7 to 15 lobes, the lowermost ones being the largest, decreasing in size towards the tip.
The veins are very prominent and sunken. The entire leaf is covered with small, thin hairs that give it a whitish tinge, especially in bright sunlight.
Flowers are soft pink to white in color about 2-5 cm in diameter, blooming in small clusters of 5-15. The petals are delicate pink with a darker pink shading towards the base. Stamens and style are clearly visible, and they look very similar to normal Garden Geranium flowers.
These bright and beautiful flowers bloom during spring and summer attracting small pollinators like butterflies, bees, insects, and ants to them. After pollination, the flowers produce small capsule-like fruits that contain a few seeds that are brown in color.
The fruits of Rose Geranium are shaped like the beak of the stork and hence the plant is also called Stork’s bill. But flowering and fruiting are not very regular in garden plants.
Gardening Tips
Rose Geranium plants prefer good sunlight, and they do best in partial or filtered sunlight lest the leaves burn from the intense heat. Soil should be rich and well-draining. These plants need regular watering especially when they are grown in pots.
Fertilize once in 2-3 weeks with compost, cow or goat dung, or other organic fertilizers to encourage healthier leaves and more flowers.
Their essential oils make them relatively resistant to pests, and any infestation should be addressed immediately with neem oil or soap solution spraying.
These plants are closely related to Geraniums, which are more popular in gardens due to their multi-colored flowers, and abundant blooming.
Uses of Rose Geraniums
Rose Geranium plants have commercial uses in the production of essential oils and perfumes, extracted from the leaves of the plant. These essential oils are used in aromatherapy to alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression due to their soothing scent.
Most plants have a rose-orange fragrance, but there are cultivars with mint, cinnamon, lemon, and even Eucalyptus fragrances – Pelargonium citrosum, Pelargonium cinnamon rose, Pelargonium lara sunshine, Pelargonium lady Plymouth, and many more, cultivated for their commercial value.
The oil obtained from the leaves, also called Geranium oil, is used in skin care, perfumery, and also as food flavoring. They are used as cheaper substitutes for rose fragrance in perfumes.
Parts of the Rose Geranium plant are used in the treatment of cuts, wounds, fungal infections, muscle pain, skin diseases, menstrual disorders, acne, lice, ringworms, and stomach problems.
In addition to these, they make excellent garden plants that can be grown in flower beds, pots, or hanging baskets; covering the pot with their beautiful, scented leaves and small pink flowers.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds, stem cuttings, and root division.
Flowers and seeds are not produced very regularly, and hence vegetative methods are more effective in propagating Rose Geraniums. Take small stem cuttings from a healthy plant and plant them in moist, well-drained soil to take root in 2-3 weeks.
Parent plants produce small plantlets that can be carefully removed from the soil and replanted.
Photographed at: GKVK, Bangalore
