The Pelargonium x domesticum (pel-ar GO-nee-um) x (do-MES-tik-um) is a favorite garden plant of the genus Pelargonium.
The genus has about 280 different species, and is a part of the Geraniaceae family.
Pelargonium x domesticum is a perennial in its native habitat but grows outdoors as an annual in most of the United States.
It is winter-hardy in the extreme south of the United States and can also be grown as a perennial indoors.
Pelargonium x domesticum is a native of the tropical and semi-tropical parts of Africa.
It’s usually grown for its many large, colorful, and showy clusters of flowers and its copious green leaves, which grow rapidly outdoors into compact bushes.
Pelargonium x domesticum is also known as:
- Martha Washington geranium
- Lady Washington geranium
- Show Pelargonium
- Regal geranium
Quick Facts On Martha Washington Geranium
- Family: Geraniaceae
- Light: Full sun (at least 6 hours a day)
- Temperature: 65° to 70° degrees Fahrenheit (day); 55° degrees Fahrenheit (night)
- Water: Frequent watering before and during flowering
- Fertilizer: Low Nitrogen fertilizer, 4-8-10, every two weeks
- Propagation: Cuttings
- Common Problems: Rot (overwatering), Yellow leaf (underwatering), mealybugs, aphids
Martha Washington Geranium Care
How Big Do Pelargonium x Domesticum Plants Grow?
Pelargonium x domesticum grows quickly in a single season.
The plants can easily reach a height of one to three feet and can cover an area 1′ or 2′ feet in diameter in a single season.
When Does Pelargonium x Domesticum Flower? Are The Flowers Fragrant?
Pelargonium x domesticum begins to bloom when nighttime temperatures are between 50° and 60° degrees Fahrenheit.
In much of the United States, the plants can bloom from late April to early May or after that.
However, as temperatures rise during the summer, the plants stop flowering and will either need to be moved to cooler locations, planted in pots, or removed and replaced with some other type of plant in the garden.
Some other types of pelargonium, most notably Pelargonium citrosum and Pelargonium triste, are more reliably fragrant than Pelargonium x domesticum, and are often used as insect repellents in the garden.
Geranium’s distinctive scent derives from the compound geranial, found in flowers and the leaves.
What Are The Lighting Needs And Temperature Requirements?
Pelargonium x domesticum needs full sun for at least 6 hours a day
However, as temperatures rise, the leaves can burn easily, so the plants might be placed in partial shade to shelter and cool them in areas where it becomes warm early in the season.
How And When To Water And Fertilize Martha Washington Geranium?
Martha Washington Geranium should be watered regularly early in the season when it is growing and blooming.
It should be kept damp, and you may need to water it several times a week.
However, after it has finished blooming, if you don’t intend to discard the plant immediately, it may only need to be watered once or twice a week.
During the growing season, Martha Washington Geranium needs to be occasionally fertilized if you want to encourage large masses of showy blossoms.
Fertilize the plant every two weeks with a liquid, low-nitrogen fertilizer, like a 4-8-10 mix, or houseplant fertilizer with a similar mix of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
If the plant gets too much nitrogen in its fertilizer mix, it will produce leaves rather than flowers and may grow weedy.
What Is The Best Soil For Show Pelargonium And When Should You Transplant?
Show pelargonium likes well-drained soil. When grown indoors, a peat-sand or potting soil mix will serve well.
It is challenging to repot or transplant an entire mature plant and usually much simpler and easier to simply take cuttings that reduce the overall size of the original.
Suppose the plant is destined for outdoor growth. In that case, it can go outside as soon as the daytime temperature consistently reaches 65° to 70° degrees Fahrenheit, and the nighttime temperature doesn’t fall below 55° degrees Fahrenheit.
Does Show Pelargonium Need Special Grooming Or Maintenance?
Regular “deadheading” or removal of spent blooms will prolong the blooming cycle of the pelargonium and should be done regularly.
If the plant grows too large or gets a deformed appearance, you might also want to prune the plant back to a better shape.
Any unwanted branches that are pruned off can be rooted to make more plants.
Indoor show pelargonium plants will occasionally need pruning back or develop an open sprawl.
Although pelargoniums grown indoors are perennial, they will reach a peak after about three years and might begin to decline.
How To Propagate Lady Washington Geraniums?
Lady Washington geraniums can be propagated by cuttings.
The cuttings can be taken from the plant at any time.
However, cuttings taken in the early spring should flower later in the same summer, while cuttings taken in late summer or early fall and kept indoors over winter will provide you with fine plants ready to bloom the following year.
Here are the steps to propagating through cuttings:
- Select a portion of the plant with at least two leaves, about 4″ inches long.
- Cut the plant with a sharp knife, well below the point where the leaves join the stem.
- Trim the plant to the node, the point where the leaves join the stem.
- Pelargonium roots are ready, and it isn’t necessary to dip the cuttings in root hormone powder, although many gardeners do.
- Place the cutting in a pot with well-drained, sandy soil or a peat and sand soil mix.
- Water the cuttings, and place the pot in a warm spot.
- Continue to water the cuttings lightly as necessary while the roots develop or when the leaves show signs of wilt.
The rooting may take 1 to 4 weeks.
Regal Geranium Pest And Diseases
Overwatering a regal geranium can cause root and leaf rot.
Healthy regal geraniums are susceptible to very few insect pests, and other varieties of pelargonium are actually used to repel insects through their scent.
However, unhealthy plants can be attacked by whiteflies or aphids.
In addition, small white puffs that look like cotton balls on the plants may indicate that mealybugs are attacking the plant.
Is The Pelargonium Considered Toxic Or Poisonous To People, Children Or Pets?
Pelargonium x domesticum contains two toxic substances, namely:
- Linalool
- Geraniol
Some people find the leaves to cause skin irritation. The leaves can be more dangerous to pets and cause skin irritation, lethargy, loss of appetite, and vomiting in cats and dogs.
The animal may especially show skin rashes around its mouth where it ate the plant’s leaves.
If your cat or dog eats pelargonium leaves, do the following:
- Get the animal away from the plant at once.
- Moisten a cloth with water and carefully clean around the animal’s mouth to remove any irritating toxins or bits of the plant.
- Call your veterinarian, and follow their instructions, even if the pet isn’t showing any signs of poisoning.
If the veterinarian asks you to bring your pet in for an examination, be sure to bring along a sample of the plant for their analysis.
If the animal vomits and you take the animal to the vet, bring a sample of the waste in a plastic bag for the vet to examine.
Suggested Lady Washington Geranium Uses
Lady Washington geranium has masses of showy flowers in reds and pinks, purples, and lavenders.
You can use the plant outdoors whenever you want large vertical displays of those colors.
You can discard the plants at the end of the season when blooming ends or bring them indoors as houseplants to overwinter them in pots.
The Lady Washington geranium is an annual plant throughout most of the United States when planted outdoors.
It can be purchased while in bloom early in the spring and used as a container plant on decks or porches.
In addition, it can also be planted directly in the garden for similar use.