Beloved for their strong aroma, these plants come in a variety of fragrances.
Scented geraniums have long been burdened with a case of mistaken identity.
The annual plants we call scented geraniums or scented-leaf geraniums are not geraniums at all but actually pelargoniums.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Scented geraniums are typically grown for their aromatic leaves.
The foliage delights the senses with fragrances of fruits, flowers, spices, or even chocolate.
As such, scented geraniums have been a favorite in herb and indoor gardens since Victorian times.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Just brush against their tactile leaves (which can be fuzzy or smooth) to release their strong aroma.
In zones 10 and 11, they can be grown as perennials but are typically treated as annuals elsewhere.
They prefer sunny spots with rich, well-draining soil but can tolerate a little shade from time to time.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Add them to colorful container plantings or integrate them near walkways in herb gardens or perennial beds.
Wiggle the plant out of its nursery pot and gently tease apart the roots.
Space your plants about 8 to 12 inches apart to provide ample air circulation.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Clay pots are an excellent choice as they allow the soil to dry more thoroughly than plastic pots.
Fill your chosen pot with a good-quality, well-draining potting mix and follow the same procedure for ground planting.
These easy-to-grow plants easily tolerate sandy soil and dry conditions but languish in wet, clay soil.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Light
Scented geraniums like full sun (at least 4 to 6 hours each day).
They can tolerate partial shade but may grow leggier in such conditions.
If you live in avery hot climate, consider sheltering your scented geranium from the harsh afternoon sun.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
During their growing season,plan to wateryour scented geraniums every few days, more frequently during hot weather.
Between waterings, allow the soil to dry out to prevent root rot.
Water the plant only when the top 2 inches of the soil is dry.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Pelargoniums are notcold-hardyand will likely perish when exposed to freezing temperatures for longer than a few hours.
Do not fertilize your pelargonium plants in the winter.
Overwintered scented geraniums can be pruned in early spring before they are returned to outdoor temperatures.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Those grown in the ground or kept outdoors can be pruned in late fall.
In either case, remove dead foliage and trim away any unhealthy or woody stems.
Indoor-grown plants can get leggy and may need occasional pinching at the growing points to encourage bushier growth.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Using your fingers, pinch about 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the end of the stems.
This will force the plant to send out new stems.
When you do, choose one only slightly larger than the old pot.
Credit: Denny Schrock
The best time to repot pelargoniums is in the spring.
Before transplanting yours, water the plant until the soil is moist.
Prepare a larger container by filling it halfway withfresh potting mix.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Prune back any rogue stems or branches and gently remove the scented geranium from its old pot.
Water until the excess runs out, and then discard the drained water.
There are several ways tooverwinter scented geraniumssuccessfully.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Overwinter them as a houseplant by bringing your containers indoors in the fall before frosty temperatures arrive.
Allow the plants to go dormant by not watering them during winter months.
Once thelast chance of frost passes in spring, you could bring your scented geraniums back outside.
Credit: John Noltner
The best way to propagate scented geranium is via cuttings.
To do so, prepare a grow pot for your cutting with a moist potting mix orseed starter.
Choose a sturdy, healthy stem from a plant flush with new growth.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
If need be, you’re able to repot your plant to a larger pot in the spring.
It bears pink to white flowers from early spring to summer and grows 12-24 inches tall and wide.
It bears profuse bicolor flowers in shades of pink.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
The flower is deeper pink during cool seasons, fading to lighter pink in summer.
As leaves mature, the brownish coloration fades.
The plant develops pale lavender flowers and grows 1-3 feet tall and wide.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
The plant grows as aspreading groundcover, reaching 6-12 inches tall and 12-18 inches wide.
In California, it’s escaped cultivation to become a weed.
It has finely divided leaves with toothed edges and a pungent piney fragrance.
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Small pinkish-purple flowers develop above the lacy foliage.
It grows 18-36 inches tall and 12-24 inches wide.
The plant grows 12-18 inches tall and wide.
Credit: Dan Piassick
The foliage has a strong lemon fragrance.
Pale pink flowers appear sporadically.
The plant grows 12-36 inches tall and 6-15 inches wide.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
It has sharply lobed hairy leaves and bears pink flowers with darker reddish-purple veins.
It can grow up to 4 feet tall, making it a good choice fortopiary standards.
It features bright magenta flowers and finely cut foliage.
Zones 9-11
‘Old Spice’ scented geranium
This bang out ofPelargonium fragransis a selection of nutmeg-scented geranium.
It has gray-green rounded and lobed leaves with a spicy aroma.
Another common name is sweet-leaved geranium.
The plant grows 12-18 inches tall and wide and bears smallwhite flowers.
Zones 9-11
Peppermint-scented geranium
Pelargonium tomentosumis a spreading subshrub with fuzzysilvery-gray leaves.
True to its name, the plant emits a strong, minty aroma.
It bears tiny white flowers with purple splashes on the throat.
It grows 1-2 feet tall and spreads up to 4 feet wide.
Other names include peppermint geranium and pennyroyal geranium.
Zones 9-11
Rose-scented geranium
Pelargonium graveolensis also called velvet rose and sweet-scented geranium.
The lobed hairy leaves have a strongscent of roses.
The flowers are small and pinkish-white.
Plants may grow 1-3 feet tall and wide.
Zones 9-11
‘Snowflake’ scented geranium
This variety ofPelargonium capitatumhas rounded leaves flecked with white.
The scent combines citrus and rose; the plant is sometimes listed as a rose-scented geranium.
Plants grow 12-18 inches tall and wide.
It is also known as hooded-leaf geranium because its hairy leaves are cupped upward, resembling a hooded cloak.
The plant has deeply lobed hairy leaves with a sweet, rosy fragrance.
The flowers are pink.
It grows 12-36 inches tall and wide.
It is hardy in zones 9-11.
It grows easily in full or partial sun and thrives in zones 10 and 11.
Marigolds
Marigoldsmake excellent companion plants for scented geraniums because they also prefer sunny spots with well-drained soil.
denticulatumFilicifolium, for example, smells strongly of balsam.
The foliage of the Variegated Oak Leaf scented geranium has a musky, spicy aroma andP.
trifidumis said to smell like dead fish.
Geraniums and pelargoniums (including scented geraniums) fall under the family name Geraniaceae.
Both plants feature narrow, beak-like seed capsules that spring open to cast out seeds.
However, only true geraniums are part of the genusGeranium.
They are low-growing perennials that are primarily grown for their late spring to midsummer blooms.
They are more shade tolerant than their annual cousins and can be grown in hardiness zones 3-9.
Pelargoniums, on the other hand, are not cold-hardy.
They are annual plants with varied growth habits from upright to trailing.
Many pelargonium cultivars are grown for their foliage, not their blooms (which are usually asymmetrical).
Many gardeners choose Attar of Roses if they’re looking for a delightful, strongly-scented plant for their garden.
Additional scents to try include ‘Orange Fizz’ and ‘Apple’ varieties.
Pelargonium (Geranium, Scented Geranium)| North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
