Pelargonium australe

What to Eat

Edible parts: Root

The root is edible, though no preparation details are recorded beyond a note that it is astringent.

Where to Find It

It grows in temperate places. It grows in coastal regions, mountains and further inland. It grows on rocky outcrops in grasslands and dry forests. It needs good drainage. It suits hardiness zones 9-10. Tasmania Herbarium. Arboretum Tasmania.

Australia*, Britain, Europe, Norfolk Island, Tasmania*,

How to Identify

A sprawling or slightly upright herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It can be 70 cm high. It can spread 30-60 cm wide. The stems are downy. The taproot is 5 cm long. The leaves are oval or almost round. They are on long stalks. The leaves are 2-9 cm across. with shallow lobes and wavy edges which are also toothed. The leaves are soft and velvety. The leaves often turn orange-red. The flowers are pale pink in groups of 4-12. Each flower is about 1.5 cm across. The two larger upper petals have red veins. The fruit has a beak. The fruit is 12 mm long.

How to Grow

Requires a light well-drained neutral to alkaline soil in a sunny position. Prefers a sandy soil. Plants are not very cold-hardy in Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about 0°c. They generally require greenhouse protection but might succeed outdoors when grown in a very sheltered warm spot in the mildest parts of the country. They can also be grown in containers that are placed outdoors in the summer and then brought into the greenhouse or conservatory for the winter. The plants need to be kept fairly dry in the winter. Very tolerant of pruning, they can be cut right down to the base in the autumn when bringing them back indoors, or in the spring to encourage lots of fresh growth. A polymorphic species, the form from Tasmania is smaller in all parts with green leaves and red petioles.

Propagation: Sow seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse, or in early spring if using stored seed. A minimum germination temperature of 13°C is recommended; seeds usually sprout within 2 weeks, though germination can sometimes take several months. Prick seedlings out into individual pots when large enough to handle and overwinter them under glass for at least their first year. If planting outdoors, do so in early summer and consider extra winter protection. Cuttings can be taken at almost any point during the growing season, though early summer is ideal to allow the new plant to establish before winter.

Medicinal Uses

All parts of the plant are astringent.

Other Uses

None known.

Pelargonium australe is a perennial herb that is endemic to Australia, and found in all states except the Northern Territory. Common names include native storksbill, wild geranium and austral storksbill. The species grows to 50 cm high and has leaves with 5 to 7 lobes. Umbels of 4 to 12 flowers appear between October and March in the species' native range. These are pink with darker markings. The species was first formally described in 1800 by German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow. It occurs on sand dunes, coastal cliffs and rocky outcrops. In cultivation, the species prefers a sunny or lightly shaded position and is adaptable to a wide range of soil types. It is readily propagated by cuttings.

Notes

There are about 230 Pelargonium species.

More from Geraniaceae

Erodium acaule

Stemless stork's bill

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Erodium crinitum

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Erodium cygnorum subsp. glandulosum

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