Geranium is a solitary plant or not. Difference between geranium and pelargonium. Pelargonium and geranium: difference, care

We used to call geranium indoor plant in a pot. Until recently, such flowers were grown in almost every home. Now the plant is no less popular. At the same time, a culture with the same name is found in dachas and city flower beds ...

And even today experienced growers often talk about geranium and pelargonium as one plant. Is it correct? It turns out not! Geranium and pelargonium are two different, albeit outwardly similar, plants. They belong to the same Geranium family, but these cultures have much more differences than similarities.

With Greek"pelargos" is translated as "stork", and "geranos" as "crane". Plants got such names because the fruits of pelargonium resemble a stork's beak, and geraniums resemble a crane. Hence the second name of geranium is crail.

Geranium and pelargonium - how to distinguish one plant from another?

In addition to names, plants have many other differences. Let's start with the fact that geranium and pelargonium do not interbreed, because they belong to different genera: Geranium and Pelargonium. AT real life it is not so easy to check this, we will take the word of breeders and advanced flower growers. But the rest of the differences can be studied on your own experience.

What do geraniums and pelargoniums look like?

Let's start with appearance plants and their structure.

Geranium is a perennial herbaceous shrub with carved leaves and a scattering of flowers, each of which has 5-8 symmetrically arranged petals. Flowers may be solitary or collected in inflorescences. Popular varieties of white, pink, lilac and crimson shades, there are also black. But the scarlet flowers garden geranium can not be. root system the plant is strong, branched. Some varieties, such as Oxford geranium, are able to grow quickly and do not require autumn pruning. Geranium is undemanding to the soil.

Even after flowering, the garden geranium bush retains its decorative effect and decorates the site until the end of autumn.

Pelargonium- perennial herbaceous plant. Her leaves are palmate, i.e. leaf veins radiate. The flowers are irregular in shape: the upper petals are slightly larger than the lower ones. Pelargonium blooms with neat lush inflorescences of white, pink, scarlet or dark red shades. But blue or purple color you will not find this plant. The root system is small, fibrous. Pelargonium loves loose fertile soil with good drainage and easily tolerates a slight drought. In general, the plant is unpretentious, but requires pruning and shaping. AT indoor floriculture zonal, royal and ivy ampelous pelargoniums are popular.

Where can you grow geraniums and pelargoniums?

The habitats of geraniums and pelargoniums also differ.

Geranium prefers shady or semi-shaded areas of the garden. It is frost-resistant, well winters without shelter. Thanks to strong roots, it can grow on slopes. Geranium bushes look beautiful in trunk circles and rockeries, or rocky gardens, along garden paths. The plant can safely fill the voids in the flower beds. It pairs well with sedum, thyme, and even rose. You can try planting a geranium bush as a tapeworm.

Pelargonium thermophilic and can grow only in an apartment or winter garden. In summer, he will agree to live on a balcony, a draft-free terrace or in a warm section of a flower bed. But for the winter the plant will have to be returned to indoor pot. Doesn't like bright colors sun rays and waterlogging. Sometimes it is grown in the garden as an annual.

Pelargonium has antibacterial properties and perfectly cleans the air. The aroma of the plant helps with headaches, insomnia, stress and cardiovascular diseases.

Since the plants are very different, they also need their own care.

How to care for garden geraniums

If you do not have much time to take care of garden flowers, geraniums - suitable option. She is resilient and resilient. Top dressing, pruning, shelter for the winter - and without all this, the plant will delight with its flowering for a long time. Landing is better in early spring or in autumn. Dig a deep hole, larger than the length of the roots of the seedling, and dig it into the ground by 5 cm. After planting, mulch the soil and water the plant regularly for the first time. If you plant several bushes, then leave a distance of at least 30 cm between them. Geranium grows quickly, so keep this in mind when planning a flower arrangement.

Garden geranium repels pests and weeds, is attractive to pollinating insects, so it can be planted directly on vegetable beds.

After flowering, it is advisable to cut off the flower stalks, and in the fall, remove the aerial wilted part and mulch the bush with compost or tree bark.

Geranium rarely gets sick, but can still get infected powdery mildew or gray mold. In the first case, it is enough to spray the bush with 3% Bordeaux liquid. And in the second - it is better to remove the diseased plant and shed the soil with Trichodermin.

Geraniums can be propagated by seeds or by dividing an adult bush. If it is not possible to plant delenki in the fall, they can be stored until spring. To do this, sprinkle the rhizomes of plants with peat and place in a container or bag with holes. To prevent the roots from drying out, periodically moisten the substrate. The storage temperature should be between 1-4°C.

Have you ever wondered what kind of plant in your house pleases you beautiful flowering- geranium or pelargonium? What is the difference between these plants, and does it exist? Probably many flower growers will be surprised that beautiful flower on their windowsill is not a geranium.

From the history of plants

AT mid-seventeenth century botanist Johannes Burman (Holland) argued that pelargonium and geranium, the difference between which is obvious, are not related plants. He wanted to highlight them different genera. Nevertheless, Carl Linnaeus, a world-famous naturalist, by that time had compiled his own classification, where he combined these plants into a single group. Then bright bushes blooming pelargonium actively used in landscaping gardens. Flower growers immediately assigned the name to it - geranium.

What are the similarities between pelargonium and geranium?

Both plants are part of the same family - geraniums. This fact is considered to be the main similarity. The family includes 5 genera and 800 plant species. The most numerous is geranium, the most famous and popular is pelargonium.

Actually very similar outward signs pelargonium and geranium. The difference at first glance is obvious only to a specialist. K. Linnaeus assigned them to one family because of the similarity of the fruit box. After fertilization, the pistil extends and begins to resemble a crane's beak. In Greek, pelargos means "stork" and geranium means "crane". Pelargonium and geranium are very similar with erect stems and alternately growing leaves. They are covered with small hairs in both plants. Most geraniums have a special aroma. These are quite tenacious plants, unpretentious in care, sun loving and easy to breed. As you can see, the similarities between these beautiful bushes really a lot. Then the question arises: "What is the difference between geranium and pelargonium?" It interests even experienced flower growers.

Pelargonium and geranium: the difference

These plants cannot be crossed with each other - they simply will not produce seeds. This is due to different genetic characteristics. Pelargonium is a native of the southern regions, and geranium comes from the Northern Hemisphere. That is why geranium is able to bloom even at a temperature of +12 degrees, and the southern beauty-pelargonium needs only greenhouse or room conditions for wintering.

Pelargonium is most often grown in apartments, it decorates summer verandas and flower beds, feels quite comfortable on the balconies, but in winter these flowers are cleaned in warm room. Geranium, on the other hand, grows and develops well in gardens, while it does not need shelter for the winter.

In our country, meadow and forest geraniums are found everywhere, with the exception of the Far East and northern regions where the climatic conditions are too harsh for them.

How to distinguish geranium from pelargonium?

Geranium has flowers consisting of 5 or 8 petals. They are usually solitary, only occasionally gathering in inflorescences. distinguished by the corolla of the flower. He has irregular shape- the two upper petals are slightly larger, the three lower ones are smaller. Pelargonium flowers form large inflorescences. Geranium can be dyed in the most different colors(except scarlet). Pelargonium never has blue hues.

Geranium is garden plant. Gardeners love him very much. Especially popular are such varieties as "magnificent", "Georgian", "Oxford". Pelargonium blooms at home throughout the year. In summer, it can be taken out to the balcony or garden, but with the onset of cold weather, the plant should be brought into the house.

Pelargonium and geranium: difference, care

All plants from the geranium family do not require special agricultural technology. Most species prefer fertile loose soils, pelargonium can grow on acidic or neutral soil. And in this respect, pelargonium and geranium are similar. The only difference is that rocky species develop well on light sandy soil, while meadow species feel comfortable on clay, heavy soil.

Most plants from the geranium family love good lighting, but direct sunlight is contraindicated for them. Pelargonium and geranium feel much better in partial shade. The difference (care for them is almost the same) between them is not too big, except for the fact that one plant is garden, and the second is home. This explains certain features caring for these two beauties.

Geranium is propagated by seeds and vegetatively. After buying a dry but lively root in a garden supermarket, it should be moistened and kept at a temperature of +2 degrees for a couple of days before planting in open ground. With the arrival of warm spring days when the soil warms up, the plant can be planted.

If you want to divide a bush that has already taken root in your area, then do it in the spring, when the flower wakes up after a winter sleep. It is not necessary to cover geraniums for the winter; most varieties do not even need to cut the foliage.

Pelargonium: care features

How to grow pelargonium at home? This question is of interest to beginner flower growers. This flower is famous for its delicate pleasant aroma. It is emitted by the essential oil contained in the leaves and stem of the plant. If you decide to grow pelargonium, then you need to know that the following conditions are necessary for its growth and development:

• proper regular watering;
• good lighting;
• air temperature not lower than +12 degrees;
• pruning.

Pelargonium is very fond of warm and bright window sills. It is quite comfortable for her, but in winter the flower tolerates coolness better (the permissible mode is +8 ... +10 ° C). When there is not enough light, pelargonium stops blooming or gives small, rare and not so bright flowers.

At home, the flower should be protected from direct sunlight. Pelargonium needs space, so make sure that other green pets do not interfere with it.

Water the flower only when it dries up. upper layer soil. An excess of moisture leads to rotting of the roots, which the plant will immediately inform you about, demonstrating weakened wilted leaves. Reduce watering in winter. Pelargonium quite easily tolerates a lack of moisture.

The soil should be nutritious, containing garden soil, sand and peat. At the bottom of the pot should be laid large layer drainage, occasionally the soil needs to be loosened - this will provide oxygen access to the roots of the plant. It is important to choose the right pot size. It depends on the size of the root system. For geraniums, small containers are more suitable.

We hope that after reading our article, you will figure out which flower grows on your windowsill - pelargonium or house geranium. Caring for these plants is simple, and their visual appeal is finding more and more admirers among flower growers.

GERANIUM GERANIUM

(Geranium), a genus of perennial, less often annual herbs of this family. geraniums. Leaves lobed or dissected, with stipules. Flowers usually with a large bright corolla. The long wings of the box-shaped fruit, when ripe, twist from the bottom upwards in an arcuate manner, scattering the seeds at the same time. OK. 400 species, Ch. arr. in the temperate zone of Sev. hemisphere. There are more than 50 species in the USSR. G. meadow (G. pratense) and G. forest (G. sylvatiс) grow on dry edges, meadows, among shrubs and in light forests; G. small (G. pusillum) - weed. The flowers of G. meadow and some other species are strictly protandric, pollinated by short-proboscis bees and flies; in G. small, the protandria is incomplete (often self-pollination). Propagated by seeds and rhizomes. G. sometimes called. plants of the genus Pelargonium. Mn. species in culture as decoration. plants.

.(Source: Biological encyclopedic Dictionary." Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov; Editorial: A. A. Babaev, G. G. Vinberg, G. A. Zavarzin and others - 2nd ed., corrected. - M.: Sov. Encyclopedia, 1986.)

(pelargonium), a genus of plants of the family. geraniums. Includes approx. 200 kinds. Homeland - South and South-West Africa. undersized shrubs and semi-shrubs, tuberous, perennial and annual plants. Stem erect or creeping. Leaves opposite or alternate, with petioles and two stipules, entire or dissected. Flowers of various colors, usually collected in umbellate or almost spherical inflorescence. how flower culture zonal pelargonium, large-flowered pelargonium, etc. are grown. Hybrid forms of zonal pelargonium were obtained in the 19th century. in England, then in France and other countries. A group of varieties of large-flowered pelargonium was first obtained through breeding work in England. These varieties (they are called English) are used in the landscape of Buckingham Palace in flower arrangements. Plants are grown in greenhouses (in containers), and during the flowering period they are planted in open ground or put up in the right places. Faded inflorescences are cut regularly.

.(Source: "Biology. Modern Illustrated Encyclopedia." Editor-in-Chief A.P. Gorkin; M.: Rosmen, 2006.)

See what "GERANIUM" is in other dictionaries:

- (gr. geranos crane). A plant with fluffy multiform leaves and flowers and a special smell; their fruits look like a crane's beak, which is why the plant got its name. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

GERANIUM- (pelargonium) genus of perennials evergreens geranium family. Motherland South Africa. Geranium is propagated by grassy cuttings in spring (March) and summer (August). Large-flowered geraniums are best cut in August. Chopped cuttings ... ... Brief Encyclopedia household

Geranium- forest. GERANIUM, a genus of perennial, less often annual herbs (Geranium family). About 400 species, mainly in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Flowers with large, bright (red, purple, purple, etc.) petals. They grow in forests, on ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Pelargonium Dictionary of Russian synonyms. geranium n., number of synonyms: 13 geraniums (1) geranium ... Synonym dictionary

geranium- and, well. geranium m. one. herbaceous plant with red, white or pink flowers, bred as an ornamental or for obtaining essential oil; pelargonium. BAS 2. My bullshit, my bullshit, Nyushka sang in a rattling weak voice, You are on the window ... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

GERANIUM, a genus of perennial, less often annual herbs (Geranium family). About 400 species, mainly in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Flowers with large, bright (red, purple, purple, etc.) petals. They grow in forests, meadows and ... Modern Encyclopedia

A genus of perennial, rarely annual herbs of the geranium family. OK. 400 species, mainly in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Many species are cultivated as ornamental and essential oil plants. Sometimes geraniums are called plants from the genus ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

GERANIUM, geraniums, wives. (from Greek geranos crane). Common cheap indoor flower. Dictionary Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

GERANI, and, wives. A herbaceous plant with fragrant leaves, bred as an ornamental or as a commercial plant for essential oil. | adj. geranium, oh, oh and geranium, oh, oh. Geranium leaf. Geranium oil. Geranium family (n.) ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

GERANIUM- GERANIUM, Geranium, fam. geraniums (Ge gasaceae). In medicine, the following are used: the American species Geranium maculatum L. (North America) and the European species Geranium Robertianum L. (USSR, Finland, Poland, Lithuania, Bessarabia); there are 21 species. From… … Big Medical Encyclopedia

Once I had to get into the real kingdom of multi-colored geraniums in an ordinary city apartment. It turned out that the flowers are called pelargonium. Although everywhere we call pelargonium geranium. The hostess shared her secrets of lush colors, pleasing to the eye almost all year round.

Home care for geranium-pelargonium

First, about the difference between geranium and pelargonium. Geranium is a winter-hardy plant with blue flowers, which is widespread in middle lane Russia. But pelargonium, although belonging to the same family, is much more tender and capricious. She came to us from South America with all the ensuing consequences in the form of warmth and sunshine-love.

pelargonium

• Will freeze under snow, and blooms best outdoors, in medium sized pots on sunny places. Does not love abundant watering, from which her petioles turn black. This is fatal for her.

It does not bloom for a long time in the ground. For some reason it feels better in a confined space flower pot. Even on the windowsill, even in the air. Therefore, to decorate the plots, it is better to expose it directly in what it grows at home in winter.

• You need to water it in hot weather every day, not very plentifully, making sure that earthen clod was neither dry nor wet. It is better to skip one watering than to fill a flower. In cool weather - watered every other day or even two.

It is necessary to bring geraniums into the room from a balcony or garden plot before the onset of autumn cold weather. As soon as the air temperature at night will be 4 5 degrees, it's time to move the flowers to winter apartment. Otherwise, it will stretch out, shed its leaves and will retreat and overdo it for a long time. As soon as you decide to transfer our geranium-pelargonium to rooms on winter time, it must be cut, leaving 5-6 cm plants with branches. From this, it will only become more magnificent and covered with many inflorescences.

• Plant the cut branches in another pot directly into the ground. It is rooting beautifully and by next spring you will have many more new flowering bushes. They decorate garden paths, balconies and verandas are no worse than capricious exotics.

It is very easy to select color combinations from geraniums. It gives you endless possibilities of choice: from pure white to dark scarlet. And in many shades. Indescribable beauty. And unpretentious.

• There are almost no diseases in geraniums. Only from excessive watering, rotting of the stems at the base. But this disaster can simply be avoided.

The hostess also told us that geranium pelargonium heals well. It was amazing.

Geranium is also a remedy

• Squeeze a few geranium leaves in gauze. Moisten a cotton swab with these drops of geranium juice and insert into the nostril if there is a sudden nosebleed. It turns out that geranium is an excellent hemostatic agent.
• A decoction of geranium is used to gargle with sore throat and treat sores in the mouth.
• Geranium repels insects. And in rooms where there are geraniums on the windowsills, and without mosquito nets no flies or mosquitoes.
• It is believed that if you apply geranium leaves to the wrist, it normalizes blood pressure. High goes down, low goes up.
• Mashed geranium leaves in the form of compresses are applied for back pain, sciatica, and osteochondrosis. Such a compress draws out inflammation and relieves pain.

Honestly, it doesn't matter how to properly call our indoor geranium. Someone argues, foaming at the mouth, proving that we do not grow geraniums, but pelargonium. Not important. It's been the same thing for a long time. Let it bloom for our joy and, if everything is true about her medicinal properties, then let it heal us.

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Many flower growers (though beginners) believe that pelargonium and geranium are the names of the same plant. Indeed! So called the plant on the window with round leaves and our grandmothers' red-capped flowers. Should I go into details? She is a geranium and a geranium in Africa.

However, let's take a look anyway.

Botanists insist that the name of the plant that we grow on the windows is pelargonium, and it is very different from real geranium.

Why is it called differently?

In the middle of the 18th century, geranium-pelargonium was wildly popular and was actively used in landscape gardening. The compiler of one of the classifications of plants, the Dutch botanist Johannes Burman, singled out geraniums as a separate species, separating them from other similar plants. But the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who compiled his classification, combined geranium and pelargonium into one common group. Then the name "geranium" was assigned to it.

Common features of geranium and pelargonium

Both plants belong to the Geranium family. It has 5 genera and 800 species. The largest genus is geranium, the most famous is pelargonium. They were combined into one family because of the original fruit box. After pollination, the pistil column is extended and takes the form of a crane's beak. By the way, in Greek, "Pelargos" means stork, and "Geranium" means crane.

Both geranium and pelargonium have erect stems (although pelargonium also has ampelous forms), the leaves are arranged alternately or opposite each other and are covered with small glandular hairs.

Many Geraniums have a special smell.

These plants are unpretentious, hardy, tolerate drought well, reproduce easily and love the sun.

Differences between geranium and pelargonium

Geranium and pelargonium - all the same different plants. If you try to cross geranium and pelargonium seeds with each other, you will not wait. The reason is different genetic characteristics. And this is another confirmation that geranium and pelargonium are still different types despite their similarities.

Geranium is a plant of the Northern Hemisphere. It is grown as a perennial, without much concern for shelter for the winter. It can bloom even at +12. Pelargonium from the southern regions. Her homeland is South Africa, Australia, Syria. Southerner pelargonium will not endure harsh winter and can tolerate only short-term and small drops in temperature, so she lives outside only in spring and summer. For autumn-winter, it must be brought indoors.

Pelargonium or geranium? How to distinguish?

Geranium flowers consist of 5 or 8 petals, they are single or collected in small inflorescences. At royal pelargonium the top two petals are slightly larger, the bottom three are smaller. Zonal pelargonium is characterized by large inflorescences of umbrellas.

Geranium is not scarlet, and pelargonium is not blue.

what does a geranium look like

Geranium is a garden plant. She hibernates without shelter. Such spectacular varieties as magnificent geranium, Oxford geranium, Georgian geranium are good.

Pelargonium for the summer can be planted in open ground, but be sure to bring it into the house with the onset of cold weather. The plant does not tolerate winter temperatures.

this is pelargonium

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