GERANIUM

Pilloried as an unfashionable house plant by some, revered as an indispensible fragrant bloom by others, the common geranium has been chalking up serious kudos in recent times. In 2014 a German research team found an extract of the South African geranium ( Pelargonium sidoides) had anti-hiv properties in a cell culture experiment. Scientists are also interested in the geranium as a natural pest control – its leaves can paralyse the Japanese beetle. The geranium’s popularity has also led scientists to target its pollen; in 2012 a strain was genetically modified to produce no pollen, creating an allergy-free plant safe for transgenic experimentation without propagation risk.