South African gem can thrive in Scotland – with a bit of care

PROTECTING and caring for our fragrant pelargoniums now promises a beautifully lush show next year. Scented leaved cultivars, like many of the pelargonium genus, originate in South Africa.

So although often confusingly called geraniums, they can’t tolerate winter frost like our temperate hardy geraniums.

Pelargoniums probably arrived in England in the early 17th century and are first recorded in the botanist, John Tradescant’s garden in 1633.

They proved popular and by

1668 featured in London’s botanic garden.

During the following century, plant hunters, including Aberdonian Francis Masson, found more specimens. After a six-year expedition in South

Africa, Masson gave a selection of new species to Kew Gardens. They included rose scented as well as lemon and probably peppermint scented species.

But until glass became more affordable in the early 19th century, only the well-to-do could keep tender pelargoniums going through the winter.

Luckily winterising is now quite easy. As sub-tropical plants, these woody perennials don’t go dormant and would grow into substantial bushes given half a chance, as my son saw during a botanical visit to South Africa a few years ago.

And my daughter-in-law’s father grew one in his garden in Greece with a 1-2 metre height and spread..

Even in Scotland, my ‘Prince of Orange’ would happily keep flowering after coming into the warm shelter of the greenhouse.

But I’ve had to harden my heart and fell the last of the flowers. By allowing winter flowering and pruning in spring, the plants would not put on enough new growth to

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Pelargoniums can need careful treatment to thrive in Scotland