Pelargonium hortorum (scientific name: Pelargonium) is a perennial herb of the genus Geranium in the family Hmongidae, 30–60 cm tall. Other names: hydrangeas, into the red, stone red, day rotten red, sunflower and so on. It is widely cultivated throughout China.
The stem of geranium is erect, lignified at the base, fleshy on the upper part, multi-branched or unbranched, with obvious nodes, densely covered with short soft hairs, with a strong fishy smell;
The umbel-shaped inflorescence of geranium is axillary and multi-flowered; the petals are red, orange, pink, or white, and broadly inverted ovate. Flowering blooms all year round in a warm environment. The flowering period is from April to June. If the winter temperature is high and properly managed, it can bloom from October to June of the following year. Some varieties are aromatic.
Geranium plants, mostly like cold and cool climate, afraid of high temperature, growth suitable temperature of 10-25 degrees C, can withstand the low temperature of 0 degrees C, summer high temperature into a dormant state.
Like the sunshine is sufficient, the sunshine requirements are more than 10 hours, if the long time light is insufficient, it is easy to cause the plant to grow and not flower, and even the buds formed are also atrophied and dried up. Avoid direct sunlight during flowering. Geranium prefers loose, fertile, well-drained sandy soils. Resistant to drying, avoid water wet.
There are about 250 varieties of geranium in the same genus, and the main varieties introduced in China are the following.
<h1>(1) Upright geranium </h1>
(1) Large-flowered geranium Large-flowered geranium is also known as: foreign butterfly, butterfly geranium, hairy leaves into the wax red. Flowering period is from April to June. Hybrids are bred by hybridization of macrophyllum geranium, hedge geranium, heartleaf geranium, and sclerophyll geranium. Below are pictures of 6 varieties
Below: Marjorie big flower geranium
Picture below: Happy Big Flower Geranium
Picture below: Love at first sight Geranium
Below: Mexican Gems Large-flowered geranium
Picture below: Nantong Tianhua Geranium
Below: Azturk Large-flowered geranium
(2) Fragrant leaf geranium Nickname: touch incense. Country of Origin: Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. The flowering period is summer. It is a spice plant. The main ingredients are geraniol and vanilla alcohol. Tender slightly the highest oil content.
(3) Shield leaf geranium Also known as: vine geranium, vine geranium, ivy leaf geranium. Perennial herb. As a hanging bowl cultivation ornamental, the flowering period is winter and spring.
(4) Horseshoe-striped geranium Usually the leaf surface has brown horseshoe-shaped markings, and a large number of colorful leaf varieties have been cultivated from this variety, mainly based on foliage.
(5) Aromatic geranium Nickname: extremely fragrant geranium, apple vanilla, musk geranium. Contains aromatic oils that give off an enticing fragrance when the hand touches the leaves.
(6) Chrysanthemum leaf geranium Stem has long hairs, the leaves are triangular or pentagonal, two pinnate deep lobes, each leaf is far apart, skeletal. Flowering occurs in summer.
<h1>(2) Creeping geranium</h1>
(1) Hibiscus ball: the flowers are pale red, light and pleasant, and the petals are half double layered. The flowering period is up to 10 months, flowering early, sunny, hanging planting.
(2) Sophia: the flowers are light pink, single petals, dense flowers, triangular leaves, light markings in the center, short internodes, strong branching force.
(3) Full of stars
The flowers are large red, single petal, short internodes, strong branching force, like sunshine, can withstand 37 degrees C high temperature, above 5 degrees C can safely overwinter.
The image comes from the Internet.