Pelargonium odoratissimum (Sc)

RHS / Janet Cubey

Other common names

nutmeg geranium

Houseplants

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A low-growing evergreen herbaceous perennial, up to 25cm tall, with a short main stem and trailing flowering stems. Rounded, apple-scented, light green leaves, 4-5cm across, are held on 5cm long stalks. Clusters of 3-10 star-shaped white flowers, 1.5cm across, the two upper petals marked with red veins, appear from spring to summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H1C
Drought Resistance: Yes

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Foliage

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Geraniaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Trailing
Genus: Pelargonium can be perennials, sub-shrubs or shrubs, sometimes succulent and mostly evergreen, with palmately lobed or pinnately divided leaves and clusters of slightly irregular, 5-petalled flowers
Name Status: Correct
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: Scented-leaved pelargoniums are evergreen shrubs or perennials with strongly aromatic foliage and small, single flowers in shades of pink, purple or white
Plant Range: Southern Africa

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow outside in summer in fertile, neutral to alkaline soil in full sun; in containers, indoors or out, grow in well-drained, peat-free compost, in full light but shaded from scorching midday sun. Provide good ventilation, and water moderately during the growing season from spring to summer, and only sparingly in winter. For more details see pelargonium cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown in late winter and grown on in a protected environment such as a heated greenhouse, or by softwood cuttings from spring to autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants
Mediterranean climate plants
City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead to encourage flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil larvae, leafhopper, root mealybugs, and whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to Pelargonium viruses, grey moulds, Pelargonium rust, and leafy gall