Gardeners may go for years satisfied in growing the same variety of a favorite plant. With little or no discernible changes to them, annual geraniums have been loved by dedicated gardeners for many decades. Now, the National Garden Bureau has announced that 2012 would be the “Year of the Geranium.”
Flower gardeners will see the results of this past summer, where geraniums were successfully trialed, when new Pelargonium plants reach neighborhood garden centers in spring. During the trials, the geranium plants were grown in difficult weather conditions to test the plants’ tolerances in high heat and drought conditions, central issues in growing Pelargonium.
Annual Geranium Plants Botanically Called Pelargonium
Where Pelargonium is grown as an annual geranium, the traditional advice for growing the summer plant requires a planting medium that will hold moisture at the same time effectively draining excess water, frequently characterized as moist well-draining soil. Whether planted in a garden bed or container, a regular routine of watering thoroughly followed by a period of drying out is needed for geraniums to thrive.
This past summer at plant trials several geranium cultivars demonstrated they would tolerate higher heat and greater drought conditions than previously experienced with other varieties. Elsewhere, the development of a true yellow Pelargonium flower over the recent years continues to be applauded.
Dallas Arboretum Tests Interspecies Geraniums
During the summer of 2011, 270 geranium plants were trialed at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Texas. Observers were hoping some geraniums would survive the long hot summer where nighttime temperatures reached above 85 degrees.
From an article published September 15, 2011, in Greenhouse Grower, Jenny Wegley of Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden wrote on interspecific hybrid and series of geraniums that stood out during the trials, here are some highlights:
- Caliente series hybrids have an identifiable ivy habit that showed greater heat tolerance, flowering in red, orange and pink colors.
- Calliope collection has the characteristically upright habit and dark green foliage which makes a good backdrop for the series of bold colors.
- Grandiosa series, a Martha Washington type, was developed from three Pelargonium species. Smaller than the traditional Regals, they were impressive surviving the summer long Dallas heat.
- Of the Angeleyes series, consider Pelargonium x crispum ‘Angels Perfume’ with its large burgundy and white blooms that belies its lemon scent, also a Regal type.
Not traditionally considered for the low-water-use plant list, these geraniums did thrive in the Dallas environment where lower humidity and high daytime and nighttime temperatures are common.
With all the good news about the new geraniums surviving longer during hot southern summers; it was felt that consistent watering was still needed.
New Color First Yellow Geranium
Gardeners have loved the annual geranium for the variety of colors in which its blooms can be found. Not just in primary colors and white, but spanning a wide spectrum of shades and bi-colored mixes. However, a true yellow geranium flower eluded breeders and, by extension, the garden aficionados who would enthusiastically grow them.
In 2010, the family-owned plant breeder, Elsner PAC, released the first true yellow geranium followed shortly after with an improved version, Pelargonium zonale ‘First Yellow Improved’. The plant grows up to 12” – 15” tall with blooms about one-inch diameter. Like all annual geraniums, this yellow-flowered plant will produce clusters all summer.
Species of Pelargonium Impacting Hybrid Geraniums
The interspecific Pelargonium x hortorum is a combination of ivy and zonal geranium species. It is primarily 20 of the approximately 280 species of Pelargonium, which affect the common bedding plant gardeners have come to depend on for high-impact color. The summer gardens are rarely planted with a straight species geranium plant in regions where it is treated as an annual.
Pelargonium have fleshy succulent stems and is a perennial in zones 10 – 12. The shrubbier species plants in the Mediterranean regions are suitable for creating a native garden. Annual geranium plants overwintered in cold climates do develop woody stems over time.
The National Garden Bureau’s call for “Year of the Geranium in 2012” was timely. Home growers will find many more geraniums with improved tolerance to trial in their own gardens.
Permission received for all photos used in this article.
Chris Eirschele - Chris writes on plants grown and gardens explored; she is a member of the Garden Writers Association.
