Pelargonium Fragrans

Pelargonium Fragrans is also commonly known as Nutmeg Scented Geranium or Nutmeg Geranium. As the common names suggests, they belong to the group of scented geraniums within the genus pelargonium (not to be confused with the genus geranium).

Photo: Stickpen

Actually, this “species” does not exist in the wild. The origin of this plant is not completely known. It has been suggest that it is a hybrid between Pelargonium exstipulatum and Pelargonium odoratissimum.P. fragrans is therefore also known as P. x fragrans.

This perennial plant is a dwarf and glaucous shrub with small, rounded leaves and tiny, white flowers that grow in trailing clusters. And as the name indicates, this plant has a nutmeg fragrance. Most of the Pelargonium fragrans hybrids have a nutmeg fragrance as well, but not all of them (please see list and description below).

These plants are easy to grow and do not need much care. Yet, you can enjoy their flowers and lovely fragrance from spring to fall. You can grow them outdoors as well as indoors. They prefer to grow in full sunlight and require normal watering (not too much not too little – just keep the soil somewhat moist).

In areas with cold winters it is advised to take these plants inside from late fall to early spring to prevent them from freezing to death. When you take them inside in fall, it is best to trim them back straight to the base. This will encourage the plant in spring to produce lots of new growth. Important: Water them only sparingly during wintertime!

List of Selected P. fragrans Hybrids:

'Aroma' – Small, white flowers. Scent of green apples. Make good container plants.

'Cody's Nutmeg' – Small, white flowers. Strong nutmeg fragrance.

'Cook's Apple Cider' - Small, white flowers. Small, rounded leaves. Apple cider scent.

'Fringed Apple' – Tiny, white flowers. Small, grey-green leaves with fringed edges. Apple scent. Good plants for hanging baskets.

'Fruity' – Flowers: white. Compact plant about 1 foot in height and width. Foliage: small, rounded and crinkly. Sweet and fruity fragrance.

'Golden Nutmeg' - Small, white flowers. Greyish-green foliage with a wide yellow border. Spicy scent. Good plants for hanging baskets.

'Joanne's Spring Clover' – Small, white flowers. Tiny, grey-green, crinkled leaves. Sweet nutmeg scent.

'Lilian Pottinger' – White flowers that grow in clusters. Grey-green leaves. Camphor-pine fragrance.

'Old Spice' = 'Logees' – White flowers that grow in trailing clusters. Spicy fragrance. Good plants for containers or borders and also good housplants.

'Pine' – Soft pink flowers that grow in clusters. Rounded and scalloped leaves. Pine fragrance.

'Snowy Nutmeg' – White flowers. The green leaves have irregular creamy splashes of variegation. Strong nutmeg scent.

'Tutti Frutti' – Flowers: white with light pink veins. Foliage: green-greyish. Light sweet fragrance.

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