GERANIUM

Genus of about 300 species of annuals, perennials and herbaceous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen, sometimes tuberous perennials widely distributed throughout temperate regions.

Pelargoniums, including those with the scented leaves, mainly evergreen, and hailing in the main from South Africa are commonly, and always will be incorrectly known as geraniums. The blazing-red geraniums in clay pots outside a thousand cottages throughout England are pelargoniums but will remain as geraniums and will remain as red.

Long-lived, undemanding geraniums, or cranesbills, can be the mainstay of any garden providing forms for rockeries, ground cover, wild gardens and borders.

Of the dozen or so native species G. pratense, meadow cranesbill with its large, blue flowers is the most well-known. It is found on chalk and in limestone areas of the UK.