Species pelargoniums

P. myrrhifolium A prostrate, rather straggly, plant with finely cut, lacy foliage and pale-pink flowers with red veining on upper petals. The larger flowered form var. coriandrifolium, is more widely available. 40cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11. P. grandiflorum An upright plant whose stems become woody with age. Leaves are smooth and glaucous and flowers are usually pale pink with red veining on the upper set. An ancestor of the regal type. 40cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11. P. lanceolatum The fleshy, glaucous leaves are, as the name suggests, lance-shaped and held upright. Flowers are white with a red mark on the upper petals. Not as floriferous as other species. 45cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11. P. quinquelobatum An easy-to-grow annual with apple-green foliage and biscuit-coloured flowers, which, as the temperature and light-levels change, develop an iridescent sheen on the petals. My favourite. 20cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11. P. trifidum A sprawling plant with spicy aromatic foliage whose stems can reach a metre long. The creamy-white flowers have narrow petals with maroon blotches on the upper pair and are up to 3cm wide. 15cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11. P. australe A compact, low-growing species with darkgreen, slightly hairy, leaves that have a reddish reverse and stems. The white flowers are often flecked with pink. Native to Australasia. 30cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11.

P. articulatum An improbable-looking plant with heartshaped leaves at the end of 20cm-long stalks. It has been used in breeding programmes to produce the more upright zonal pelargoniums. 40cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11. P. echinatum ‘Album’ Known in the 19th century as the ‘sweetheart pelargonium’ for the heart-shaped, red markings on its upper petals. In the wild the species occasionally has pink or magenta flowers. 40cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11. P. tomentosum A species grown more for its spectacular foliage than for its sprays of tiny leaves. The leaves are large, smell of peppermint and have the texture of velvet, making them irresistible to touch. 50cm. AGM. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11. P. triste An unpromising mound of feathery foliage followed by tall stems of tiny, cream flowers with purple blotches on the petals. Its real joy is the honey-and-clove perfume it produces at night. 40cm. RHS H1C, USDA 10b-11.