PlantFiles: Scented Geranium
Pelargonium graveolens

I received a cutting for free from a local nursery. Ever since the roots developed, the plant has really taken off. At least one new leaf a week. Im overwintering right now without a hitch, and water once approx every two weeks or so. Believe it or not, the citronela scent deters mesquitos. Try it yourself and see!

I love Geraniums. My favorite part is when they get too leggy. I cut a piece off, and stick it in the ground somewhere else, and then I have another. This has been going on for a while, so I'm surrounded by them - All different kinds.

My favorite seems to be the citronella frangranced one by the door. It keeps bugs away from the house, and it gives off a hint of scent every time someone passes.

I had a cut of this plant in Tunisia last march, which I planted in Paris (France). The plant has grown well and is now some 60 cm high. Scent and leaves are gorgeous, and I will endeavour to develop other pots out of the first plant.

Most of the P. graveolens species are in the rose-scented group. The foliage is very attractive, flowering is rare due to the presence of viruses. As tissue-propagation becomes more widely used as a source for pelargoniums, virus-laden stock is dwindling, making flowering more common, a very nice bonus.

Pelargoniums grown from seed will not come true to a named cultivar, and scent will vary.

There are many, many varieties of scented geranium--with many shapes, textures, and shades of leaf--and many different scents. Blooms are varied, as well, and, although a person wouldn't be likely to grow s.g.'s for their blooms, the blooms are often a nice bonus and sometimes remain for many weeks. These geraniums, like most pelargoniums, pretty much insist upon warm weather, but they can be brought inside in the winter and will do quite well in a sunny location indoors (although they probably won't grow nearly as fast as they do outdoors). They also
can be propagated from cuttings with a fair rate of success.