Pelargonium zonale

(L.) L'Hér.

Horseshoe Geranium

GeraniaceaeLeaves

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(c) Evie Bowen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Evie Bowen

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(c) Johan Eksteen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Johan Eksteen

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Stalks

Leaves and stems are edible cooked as a vegetable.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant.

Africa, Asia, Australia, Canary Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Himalayas, Korea, Mexico, Middle East, Morocco, Myanmar, North America, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Spain, Trinidad-Tobago, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, West Indies, Yemen,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belize, Canada, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Gabon, Grenada, Georgia, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, El Salvador, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A herb or small shrub. It has red or white flowers. It has a disagreeable smell when crushed.

How to Grow

Propagation: Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Stored seed should be sown in early spring under glass. Germination requires a minimum temperature of 13°c and usually occurs within 2 weeks, though it can sometimes take several months. Prick seedlings out into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in the greenhouse for at least the first winter. If planting outdoors, set out in early summer and consider providing extra winter protection. Cuttings can be taken at almost any time 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

An essential oil is obtained from the plant.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Pelargonium zonale is a species of Pelargonium native to southern Africa in the western regions of the Cape Provinces, in the geranium family. It is one of the parents of the widely cultivated plant Pelargonium × hortorum, often called "geranium", "horseshoe geranium", "zonal geranium" or "zonal pelargonium".

Notes

There are about 230 Pelargonium species.

Names & Synonyms

Geranium zonale L.and several others

References (6)

H. G. A. Engler, Pflanzenr. IV. 129(Heft 53):383. 1912
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 469
Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 227
Kew Plants of the World Online
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Plants of Haiti Smithsonian Institute http://botany.si.edu/antilles/West Indies