Geranium Blog

Pelargonium 'Abundance' - The Truest Plant Name Ever

Abundance lives up to its name in every possible way. It covers itself with blooms for a long period of time. Almost every blooms creates a seedhead. The lemon-scented foliage is thick and bushy.

I want to thank reader Jeanie for bringing Abundance to my attention. It's my favorite "new-this-year" scented geranium.

The Joy of Celery

All my geraniums are very pretty right now. I have a lot of exciting pictures coming up. Celery scented geranium is puting on a particularly fine display. The flower stems are very thin, so the flowers have the appearance of a flock of butterflies.

Upright Coconut Geranium

Upright Coconut is a charming little jewel. So much to love: the zoned leaves, the tiny butter yellow flowers that always point down, the ridiculously large cranesbills. It starts readily from seed and thank goodness, because it doesn't seem to live for very long. Think of it as a biennial.

Seed Patrol

A few warm days and like magic, the seeds appear! This afternoon I harvested seeds from Pelargonium 'Cinnamon', P. ionidiflorum (Celery), Coconut, Apple and a couple of zonals.

A Slice of Apple Geranium

Apple Geranium is now covered with tiny white flowers and a tangle of seedheads. This morning I began collecting the little cranesbills to dry for seed. I just cut off the ones that are starting to dry and put them in a pie pan. The seeds of P. odoratissimum have a little fluffy springtail and will fly away in any wind, so it's best to get them off the plant before they "spring".

I also collected some seeds from P. x fragrans 'Nutmeg' and P. x fragrans 'Snowy Nutmeg'.

Seed Report

Pelargonium x fragrans (Nutmeg) with flowers and seedheads

As you can see, Nutmeg Geranium is covered with flowers and seed heads. The same goes for P. odoratissimum (Apple). P. grossularioides (Coconut) - always a vigorous seed producer - is just getting started.

There are two small-scale seed producers so far this year: P. 'Strawberry' has three cranesbills forming. Also, P. x fragrans 'Snowy Nutmeg' has produced a few seedheads. Will the seedlings be variegated like the parent?

And then, a zonal geranium called 'Patriot Salmon Chic' has nine seedheads so far, but who knows if they will reproduce true. And besides that, the tag says "Do not propagate".

Seed Patrol

Pelargonium odoratissimum (apple) with flowers and seedheads

Both Apple and Celery Geranium are now producing seedheads. I have managed to collect a little seed already from Apple, but none yet from Celery. They are both species pelargoniums so the seed should be viable. Rooting cuttings are the faster, easier method of getting new plants, of course, but this is a quest for knowledge and experience!

Pelargonium ionidiflorum (celery) with flowers and seedheads

Seeds of Upright Coconut Geranium

Seeds of Pelargonium 'Upright Coconut'

Upright Coconut Geranium has simply enormous seeds! The seedheads are about 5 times bigger than those of regular Coconut geranium, seen here. I don't know if these seeds will reproduce true, but curiosity demands that I find out! Below is a picture of how they hang on the plant. They look sort of comical, so big on a still small plant!

P. 'Upright Coconut' with seedheads

Coconut Geranium Seeds

Seeds spring forth from Coconut Geranium seedheads

Pelargonium grossularioides is one of the scented geraniums that can be grown from seed and still remain true. And what a seed producer it is! The seeds are easy to collect. I just snip off the seedhead clusters after they pop open and drop them in a pie pan to let them dry further. After several days shake the seeds into a clean dry container for storage. And keep them away from any breezes. They have little fuzzy parachutes (apparently invisible to the scanner) that easily carry them hither and yon.

Coconut Geranium Seedhead Update

Coconut Geranium covered with seedheads

Pelargonium grossularioides (Coconut) looks downright prickly with all these seedheads. I started collecting the seeds today. When the seedhead dries out, it pops open and the seeds are hanging there with little fuzzy parachutes to be carried away by the wind. To collect, I just cut off the whole seedhead cluster after they have opened and drop it into a bowl to dry further.

Signs of Fertility

Seedheads of Pelargonium grossularioides (Coconut scented)

I am completely familiar with Coconut Geranium's (P. grossularioides) willingness to engage in "seedy" behavior - Oh, Ha ha ha - but was surprised to find seedheads on Upright Coconut as well. One funny detail I noticed is that the seedheads of Upright Coconut are all pointing down, but the seedheads of regular Coconut Geranium are all pointing up. More photos as the situation develops.

Seedheads of Pelargonium 'Upright Coconut'