Here we go again with a mismatch of names: the Pelargonium inquinans, which is endemic to South Africa – occurring naturally from Mpumalanga to KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape – is commonly known as … the scarlet or red geranium!
The photographs above and below were taken in the Addo Elephant National Park, where these plants are endemic to the Valley Thicket biome. The red or scarlet geranium will be familiar to many of my European readers for the Pelargonium inquinans is one of the progenitors of many types of the cultivated red geraniums (as they tend to be known) in Europe – and what a wonderful show they put on there! Apparently it was cultivated as early as 1714 by Bishop Compton, who nurtured a particular interest in South African plants. He was an English Army officer and Anglican clergyman who served as the Bishop of London from 1675 to 1713, so perhaps he turned to horticulture in his retirement.
The leaves are soft with a velvety texture and are pleasantly aromatic when rubbed between one’s fingers. The stems break easily: I collected one from my son’s garden before he left town and simply stuck it into the ground. Before long I had a healthy plant growing in my own garden.
There is some interesting information in:
Something Over Tea 
I count on pelargoniums and their bright colour to get me through the winter. They can take the cool temps of my sunspace without complaint.
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That is heartening to know 🙂 🙂
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I don’t know much about the Latin names (genus, phylum, species, etc.), but I love your photos!
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Thank you very much. I have to look up the names in order to distinguish one plant from another. Similar common names are applied to different plants, birds and insects in different parts of the world to very things – as I found out when blogging about what we call a daddy-long-legs (spider) only to find the name is applied to a long-legged insect abroad 🙂
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On daddy longlegs, here in the UK there is some confusion. The creature referred to is either an insect, (cranefly) or a harvestman. In fact, the harvestman isn’t, in fact, a spider, although it resembles them in having 8 legs. Its closest relatives are mites, or possibly members of the scorpion family.
Unlike spiders, they don’t have distinct body parts, and only one pair of eyes. And they don’t have any venom glands.
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And so the intrigue deepens 🙂 Thank you for this interesting information.
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Beautiful flowers, I love to have them in our flower pots every year.
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I enjoy seeing these flowers in pots.
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That special red against the green is a beautiful combination! We enjoy Geraniums here too, mainly annuals or as potted plants.
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They make lovely potted plants – especially the trailing varieties of flowers. Here we are fortunate to see many of them growing in the wild.
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Nice! Only 249 to go – we’re waiting with bated breath …
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Don’t hold your breath for too long … I will give you a break for a while 🙂
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After reading your last post, I can see that this bright flowere is not a geranium. I sure do learn a lot from my blogging friends.
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Thank you, Laurie. I have learned a lot in this way too 🙂 🙂
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Pretty flower.
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Thank you on its behalf.
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Oh guru, please help me out. I have a large pot of what I call scarlet geranium. It has 7 petals to each flower which form a tennis ball sized bloom. It’s a beauty and reminiscent of Alpine flower boxes. Hubby hates it, but being so easy to propagate, I’ve got back up versions scattered about both here and in my neighbours gardens in case it meets an untimely death. Is it a pelargonium or a geranium?
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I assure you that I am not a flower guru at all 🙂 I am gradually getting to know the names of some of the indigenous flowers that grow around here and which I come across while travelling around the country. However, what you describe sounds like a cultivar of a pelargonium – horticulturalists have bred a variety of plants that bear no relation to the original over the years. Your description makes it sound very attractive – one I would like to keep to brighten up my garden too 🙂 🙂
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Thanks Anne, oh the joys and frustrations of gardening!
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When I was young and first started planting, these were the first flowers I grew. I have been to Mpumalanga. You live in God’s country.
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I grew up in Mpumalanga – it is a wonderful place to be!
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Yes, these are found in gardens all around the UK in the summer. In lots of colours, too.
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I loved seeing them in pots and hanging gardens all over while I was in the UK last year. The petunias always look so lovely too.
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They must be what we have. Thanks for the history.
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It was interesting to find out about the introduction of these flowers to Europe.
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Love the red, Anne, I have seen these in various gardens here on the coast.
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They appear to be very hardy so would not mind the coastal conditions.
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Looks like that, indeed.
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