Ivy-Leaved Geranium, Hanging Geranium, Ivy Geranium
Pelargonium peltatum
Family: Geraniaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Salmon, White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early fall, Late summer, Late spring, Mid summer, Mid spring. Form: Prostrate, Spreading or horizontal.
Pelargonium peltatum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1.5 m (5ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 1.5
Where it is found
Grows in scrub along the coast or on dry rocky hillsides.
S. Africa - Cape Province to East London.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Leaves and buds - raw or cooked. An acid flavour, they are used as a vegetable.
Medicine
Rating: 1
All parts of the plant are astringent.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Other
Rating: 3
A blue indigo dye is obtained from the flower petals. It is used in painting. An essential oil is obtained from the plant.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Ground cover, Massing, Seashore, Specimen. Requires a light well-drained neutral to alkaline soil in a sunny position. Not very hardy in Britain, it generally requires greenhouse protection but might succeed outdoors in the mildest parts of the country, especially if grown against a sunny wall and given some protection in the winter. 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. The plants need to be kept fairly dry in the winter. 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. There are many named forms, selected for their ornamental value. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Naturalizing, Extended bloom season in Zones 9A and above.
Propagating it: 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. 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.
Best place to grow: South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 9-10
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist