is a pelargonium a geranium?

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mark Antrim, Northern Ire, United Kingdom(Zone 8b) Jul 04, 2001

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.

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

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djm906 Mount Prospect, IL(Zone 5a) Jul 05, 2001

OK, Sounds good to me. I'm for it!!

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