PELARGONIUM. Most California gardeners finally know, after being inundated in recent years with dozens of true geraniums, that the succulent shrub with garish red flowers is somehow different. Some are even daring to use the proper name, or at least “pel”, the shortened form. I have always avoided this group for the artificial textures and colors of many hybrids. Yet I cheerfully admit that a genus this large must have something of interest. Here are some recent acquaintances, which thrive in sun or light shade and most soils, with moderate watering. Their hardiness varies.

cordifolium. A stout, bushy plant growing 3-4’ tall. It has furry, heart shaped leaves up to 3” long. Leaf color is dark green above, greyish beneath. It blooms primarily in late spring, with a scattering at other times. Flowers are loosely clustered, measure a little over 2”, tip to tip, and are of that frequent pelargonium shade, close to magenta. Damaged at a little below freezing, though it recovers quickly. Its ultimate hardiness is probably between 20 and 25^oF.

crispum ‘Dissectum’. Lemon geranium. A closely branched shrub, growing 1-2’ high, with closely packed aromatic leaves. Each is about 3/4” long, deeply and narrowly lobed and crisped around the margins, bright green in color. The flowers are about 3/4" broad and colored a slightly purplish  pink. It has recovered after bouts of around 20^oF.

fruticosum. A low, spreading shrublet with slender stems and narrowly parted, bright green leaves. It bears an almost continuous sprinkling of spidery, soft pink blossoms, about 1” long. Overall, it gives a delicate impression that is almost unknown for this genus, yet it is easy to grow. 25^oF or less (it has not yet had a more acid test with us).

sidoides. A low mound, with trailing, ropy stems. The leaves are about 1½" long, broadly heart shaped, wavy-edged and greyish green color. The plant is nearly everblooming. It holds its small clusters of irregular 1" blossoms on slender, elevated stalks. The flowers are about 1" long and painted a deep, velvety purplish red. 25^oF or less—perhaps much less.