PlantFiles: Variegated Lemon-Scented Pelargonium
Pelargonium crispum 'French Lace'

This is a wonderfully adaptable and forgiving plant in my experience.

We have one planted in a compost-amended clay soil that is never fertilized and receives all day sun. The area gets watered every 4-6 weeks from about May through October, receives rainwater only during the winter, and is never fertilized. This one lost most of it's outer leaves when temps dipped below 38 degrees F last winter, but it had fully recovered by early summer. From a pint-sized pot, the plant has grown to 3+' h x2+' w specimen in 2 years. Full sun causes the leaves to curl more, like tight ruffles, and makes the plant grow more compactly than those receiving some shade. Also, the yellow-white color tends to dominate in the sun, whereas the bright green stands our more in shaded plants.

In pots, I've found that this cultivar will grow in just about anything with reasonable drainage. We have it growing in both grit (along with small succulents) as well as regular potting soil that are allowed to dry out between watering. (Too much water = less scent, so give it only what it needs.) It's fairly easy to train this one into a standard or bonsai and easier still to propagate via cuttings (which root in just a couple of week and are generally ready to plant out within a few months).


The small pink flowers are stunners against the variegated foliage, especially on plants grown in the part-shade. The stems make excellent filler for bouquets and look good for weeks in a vase, but the scent (which is wonderful!) is only pronounced when the leaves are brushed or crushed.