Pelargonium zonale, also known as the horse-shoe pelargonium and wildemalva in Afrikaans, is a species of Pelargonium native to southern Africa in the south-east and western regions, and is a member of the geranium family (Geraniaceae).This species is renowned for its attractive foliage, long flowering periods (almost year long), and ease of cultivation hence why these plants are widely considered to be amongst the most rewarding plants for the garden and other landscaping projects.

It is one of the parents of the widely cultivated plant Pelargonium × hortorum, often called “geranium”, “zonal geranium” or “zonal pelargonium”.^[2]

How to care for Pelargonium zonale plants

Plants can be obtained by germinating seeds or though vegetative propagation by means of tip or stem cuttings. The optimal time for both methods is during autumn (March to May) and spring (September to November).  The hard-coated seeds germinate within 14 days at about 20° C once the seed coat is compromised.

In warm and favourable conditions the plants are fast growing both in full-sun and semi-shade. They do not require any special care, however, with some good compost and watering they can grow to be decent sized bushes with dense healthy foliage and a proliferation of pretty flowers for the majority of the year.

Pelargonium zonale can be planted in scattered or formal rows as the back-planting of a flower bed to form the main scaffolding and structure of the landscape design.

In areas with more severe cold and frost they must be grown indoors (which is certainly feasible as they grow very well in containers and respond well to both solid and liquid organic fertilisers).

Another option for colder temperate climate zones further north, is for plants to be set out in gardens in the spring, then they can be dug prior to the first freeze and brought indoors to overwinter; until they can be re-planted in the spring.

These plants are very well suited to pruning (especially after they have flowered). This allows one to propagate new Pelargonium plants while maintaining the shape and structure of the older plants.

An interesting fact is that micropropagation (modern tissue culture propagation method) has been used commercially since the 20th century.

Growth habit of Pelargonium zonale plants

Stems

Pelargonium zonale is an upright or scrambling shrub, normally growing to about 1 m (3 ft) in height but can reach heights of up to 3 metres in ideal conditions. Its stems are succulent, hairy when young and becoming woody with age.

Leaves

The leaves are smooth and marked with a narrow, dark, zig-zagged horse-show shaped “zone” of pigmentation, giving rise to both the scientific and common names. The specific epithet “zonale” is the neutral inflected form of the Latin zonalis “relative to the zone”, with reference to the brown zone on the leaf. Leaves are reniform (kidney-shaped) and petiolate (possess a leaf stem) with an average diameter of 5 to 8 cm.^[2]

Flowers

The genus name Pelargonium, in scientific Latin, derives from the Greek pelargós (πελαργός), designating the stork, the shape of the fruit evoking the beak of the bird. The strikingly beautiful flowers are borne in an umbel; individual flowers are markedly zygomorphic (having only one plane of symmetry). The petals are narrow with with delicate reddish lines along the petals’ length. The petal colour ranges from a very pale pink to a bright, deep rose-pink. Flowering occurs throughout the year however especially from September to December.

Distribution and habitat of Pelargonium zonale

Pelargonium zonale grows widely through southern Africa, often clearly visible and prominent in the areas where it grows.

This species can be found from Piketberg in the Western Cape to areas of the Eastern Cape, and then further north to Underberg (in KwaZulu-Natal). Particularly big stands of these plants are common in coastal areas of the southern cape.

In their natural environment these plants typically grow in kloofs and valleys, on the edges of indigenous forests as well as amongst other scrub vegetation on rocky outcrops.

Today Pelargonium zonale is naturalized in many subtropical and tropical countries.

Hybridization (Hybrids of Pelargonium zonale)

This species can hybidise with closely related species and in so doing bring new hybrid cultivars into existence. As previously mentioned, these plants have been hybridized with another specied to yield a group of hybrid plants referred to as Pelargonium x hortorum. These hybrids are usually referred to by the common name “zonal geranium”.

Different Pelargonium species

We have 3 other Pelargonium varieties currently for sale on our website:

► Browse: Pelargonium capitatum – rose geranium, rose-scented pelargonium

► Browse: Pelargonium inquinans ‘red’ – scarlet geranium, wildemalva, ibhosisi

► Browse: Pelargonium inquinans ‘salmon’

History of cultivation of Pelargonium zonale

In the 16th century, Pelargonium seeds were transported from Africa to Leiden in the Netherlands, where the plant was grown in the botanical garden there. Within a few years, it reached the British Isles, France, Italy and Spain and became popular. It gradually reached the islands of the Caribbean, and in the 17th century it was already known in North America.

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References

1.  “Pelargonium zonale“, The Plant List, retrieved 2015-01-23
2. Lawrence, Ebrahim (2002), “Pelargonium zonale (L.) L’Hérit.”, PlantZAfrica, South African National Biodiversity Institute, retrieved 2015-01-23

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This article uses material from the Wikipedia article “Pelargonium zonale”, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.