Geranium v Pelargonium V Erodium

hi fellow geranium fans.

I get asked this question so many times that I decided to research the said subject. Here's what I found. 3 plants are generally grouped as Geraniums. The geraniums, pelargoniums and Erodiums.

Geranium comes from the Greek word Geranion, a form of Geranos, which means a crane, as in bird, hence Cranesbill the other name for geraniums.

Pelargonium comes from the word Pelargos meaning a Stork.

Erodium comes from the word Erodios meaning a Heron giving them their other name Storksbill but not so often Heronsbill.

Pelargoniums were first put forward as being different way back in 1738 by J Burman. Linnaeus, the daddy of plant nomeculture, decided, in 1753, they weren't distinct enough and he called them Geraniums along with the Erodiums. around this time Pelargoniums started to arrive from Southern African and quickly caught on and because Linnaeus had such a good reputation the name stuck.

In 1789 a botanist called L'Heritier said the 3 plants should be different but it was too late as the masses had the name Geranium firmly in their minds.

so 300 years on we can fly to the moon, send emails at 3000 km/sec ........ but gardeners can't call Pelargoniums by their correct name.

lets get it right from today, please.

Mark


This message was edited Monday, Apr 29th 2:48 PM

Great potted history Mark!

thanks.

lol Mark - So pedantic!! Tolerance in all things, especially to newbies!! However, us oldies in the broader sense of the word, are familiar with the distinctions!!

These mistakes are made all over,Mark,
e.g. in Germany:
Geranium is Storchschnabel (Storks bill)
Erodium is Reiherschnabel (Herons bill)
and Pelargonium is Geranie (Geranium)
The bigger garden centres are starting to call them by their proper name now (Pelargonium), but as is possibly worldwide, almost everybody knows them as the geranium.
It'll take a long time to change that methinks ;-)

All the best

Wintermoor

Louisa, i don't think it's a question of tolerance. Naming plants correctly is just common sense so that we know universally what we are referring to.
If newbies learn the right names from the start, doesn't that make life easier rather than more difficult?
If we are taught the wrong things at the beginning it is much more difficult to "unlearn" and start again surely?

I'm with Mark and Zanymuse on this one. Refuse to buy things under the wrong name and eventually the correct names should be accepted and people new to gardening won't have to struggle through the fog, but be certain of what they are buying and growing.
It also makes sorting out the general growing conditions that the different plants like easier to understand if we have them placed in their proper groups.
I think Mark's post, far from being pedantic, makes things clearer for 'newbies'.
:)

I dont even know what pedantic means. so i'll look it up in the morning.

Mark

hehehe!!! It's hard to fight the system, but good when you know the difference!!!

"...relying too much on academic learning.......or too concerned with insignificant detail..." Mark - otherwise known as "nit-picking".

To me this detail is fundamental rather than insignificant.

I do agree with you Phil - entirely!!! It's just that it can be a little overwhelming to new gardeners sometimes. So - gently, gently!! It also depends on the individual and how serious they are about gardening!! For myself, it was a dedication and the way I chose to go right from the very beginning!! My initiation into gardening started in the library!!

Yes, I agree it's good to have simplified versions to start with.
Perhaps you might like to put up photos of a Geranium, a Pelargonium and an Erodium, Mark, to explain some differences? - (In your spare time, of course, lol!)

unfortunately I dont have any Pelargonium shots but will go to the garden centre this weekend to take some. then I'll look into the subject a little further.

Mark