Pelargonium graveolens Seeds | Old Fashion Rose Geranium
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LATIN NAME: Pelargonium graveolens
COMMON NAME: Rose Geranium, Rose-Scented Geranium, Old-Fashion Rose Geranium
Plant Profile
Rose geranium is a tender shrubby perennial, 60-120 cm, with soft, deeply lobed leaves and small pink flowers through the summer. The leaves are the crop: crushed between the fingers they release a scent that is closer to rose than to any geranium, with a green, slightly minty edge.
Plants are grown as annuals in cold gardens, as pot plants on a windowsill, and as hedges in mild climates. They tolerate drought, salt wind and poor soil, which is why they are planted along paths and at the coast, where the scent is released by every passing brush.
Pelargonium graveolens comes from the summer-rainfall region of South Africa, and it was taken to Europe in the seventeenth century. The commercial oil is produced mainly in China, Egypt and Reunion, and the Reunion type, known as bourbon geranium, is the most valued.
Science & Biotechnology
The essential oil is built from citronellol and geraniol, with linalool, isomenthone and guaia-6,9-diene contributing the green notes. The ratio of citronellol to geraniol is what separates a good oil from a poor one, and it varies with climate, harvest time and distillation.
The plant’s scent is a defence: the volatiles are stored in glandular trichomes on the leaf surface and released when the tissue is damaged, which deters some herbivores and attracts others. That is why the smell is strongest on a hot afternoon or after rain.
Rose geranium oil is one of the most used materials in perfumery, and it has been studied for antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro, along with its use in aromatherapy for anxiety. The evidence for the therapeutic claims is preliminary, and the oil should not be taken internally.
Uses & Benefits
The leaves are used fresh in baking, in jams and in syrups, and a leaf laid in the bottom of a cake tin scents the sponge. They also make a pleasant infusion and are used to flavour sugar, vinegar and liqueurs.
The oil is a perfumery staple and appears in cosmetics, soaps and insect repellents. In the garden the plant is grown for scent, for the foliage effect in pots, and as a low hedge in frost-free gardens. Commercially the crop is grown for oil, and the dried leaves are sold for potpourri and for tea.
Growing from Seed
Sow at 18-21°C on the surface of a moist seed compost, covering lightly, and germinate in two to three weeks. The seed is fine and the seedlings are slow at first; prick them out when the first true leaves appear.
Plant out after the last frost, at 40 cm apart, in full sun and well-drained soil. Water moderately: the plant tolerates drought but rots in wet ground. Pinch the tips to build a bushy plant, and harvest leaves through the summer. In cold gardens lift a plant before the frost, cut it back by half and keep it on a bright windowsill through winter.
Our Take
A scent plant rather than a flower plant, and one that earns its place by the door where you will brush past it every day.
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