Scented Geranium
A Complete Guide to the Scented Geranium
The Scented Geranium originated in South Africa, where there are around 250 native species of the plant. There, the plant is a perennial which can grow up to seven feet tall. Scientists believe the highly scented plants were meant to keep animals from grazing in certain areas. Since the plants began to be grown as hybrids, there have been thousands of different cultivars, and the scents are no longer as easily differentiated as they once were.
Some Scented Geraniums can smell like roses or mint, while others smell like nuts or cinnamon. Many people say that the Scented Geranium is not really a geranium at all. It belongs not to the Genus Geranium like the Wild Geranium, but to the Genus prelargonium. Both, however, are still members of the family Geraniaceae, or Geranium Family.
The Scented Geranium gets it scent from tiny drops of oil which gather at the bottom of the plant’s leaf hairs. The different scented leaves also have different shapes. The leaves can range in size from under an inch to over six inches. You can grow these inside or outside, but if you live in a cold location you will need to bring the plants inside for the winter. They will not survive frost.
The Scented Geranium likes soil that is average and well-drained. In fact, soil that is too fertile can cause the plant to be weak scented. They do not need much nitrogen--a standard 10-10-10 fertilizer will work as will fish emulsion fertilizers. This type of geranium not only does well in most soils, it also is not fussy about the amount of water it receives. Only hand water if the plant is starting to look too dry. You can plant or place your Scented Geranium where it will get several hours of sun or inside where it simply gets several hours of bright light. They prefer temperatures to be around 70 degrees in the daytime.
You can prune your scented geranium to keep it from spreading out. If you don’t, it will start to look overgrown. You do this by pinching off the new plant buds once you have around five leaves on each stem. The first pruning should take place when the plant is around five inches high. After the plant is adult-size, prune it back to be whatever size you want it to be. You can give cuttings from your plant to friends so that they can grow their own Scented Geranium.
Today, there are thousands of Scented Geraniums you can buy. Some smell like roses, others like peppermint, apple, lemon, lime, orange, almond, peach, coconut, strawberry, nutmeg, and even chocolate mint. Some people cook with the leaves, flavoring many desserts, including syrups and custards. Rose scented geraniums sometimes flavor jellies. They are also used as garnishes and in herbal tea.