{"id":3883,"date":"2023-01-23T15:28:59","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T23:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/?p=3883"},"modified":"2023-01-23T15:32:30","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T23:32:30","slug":"a-rose-is-not-always-a-rose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/a-rose-is-not-always-a-rose\/","title":{"rendered":"A Rose is Not Always a Rose"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"scented<\/a>I was first smitten with scented-leaf geraniums on a visit to the Cornell Botanic Garden in Ithaca, New York.\u00a0 It was a sunny summer day and I passed a raised bed of vigorous geraniums near the Welcome Center.\u00a0 The sunshine had warmed the essential oils lurking at the bases of tiny leaf hairs, allowing visitors catch the scents of roses and lemons.\u00a0 It was magical.<\/p>\n

It was the start of an ongoing infatuation, and these days I am never without scented geraniums.\u00a0 They are one of the cheapest and easiest forms of aromatherapy.<\/p>\n

Not every \u201cgeranium\u201d is a true geranium, just as not everything called a \u201crose\u201d is a true member of the Rosa clan.\u00a0 Scented geraniums, like the common red, white and pink varieties that ornament porches and window boxes everywhere, are officially known as pelargoniums.\u00a0 They are cousins of the hardy geraniums that do yeomanl-like work in many gardens, but unlike them, are tender in cold winter areas.\u00a0 Hardy and tender geraniums were corralled by botanists into separate genera in 1789.\u00a0 They have remained separate to this day, but the distinctions sometimes confuse people.<\/p>\n

Descended from South African ancestors, all pelargonium, including garden and scented varieties belong to the large geranium or Geraniaceae family.\u00a0 Some, like the rose-scented Pelargonium graveolens are distinct species; others are hybrids resulting from multi-species crosses.\u00a0 The leaves run the gamut from tiny to large, with lobes that may be rounded, pointed, ruffled or deeply dissected.\u00a0 Unlike other pelargoniums, scented varieties produce relatively small flowers with five petals apiece–two large ones at the top of the flower, and three smaller ones below. Fragrance is the real attraction though, and the leaves mimic the scents of roses, lemons and other citrus fruits, pine, spice, mint, and even chocolate.\u00a0\u00a0 The plants probably developed fragrant leaves to ward off animal and insect predators.\u00a0 The same quality has a powerful attraction for humans.<\/p>\n

Interest in the scented-leaf varieties has spiked in the last twenty years or so, and the range of available varieties is large\u2014if you know where to look.\u00a0 Large garden centers often carry one or two varieties in the herb section, but online vendors offer a broad range.<\/p>\n

The citronella-scented Pelargonium citrosa is everywhere, and though its mosquito-repellent qualities are somewhat less than advertised, the leaves still have a pleasant lemony scent.\u00a0 Even better is little Pelargonium crispum, which has small, frilly leaves with a distinctive lemon odor.\u00a0 The flowers, when they appear, are white or palest lavender, with darker purple veins. \u2018Lemona\u2019, which looks like a crispum variety or hybrid, has the same ruffled leaves and lemon scent, combined with larger flowers. \u2018Orange Fizz\u2019 offers up larger leaves and a distinctly orangey scent.<\/p>\n

The rose fragrance exuded by scented geranium leaves is the real thing, reminiscent of old-fashioned garden roses. I like three old-fashioned varieties: \u2018Attar of Roses\u2019; \u2018Lady Plymouth; and \u2018Grey Lady Plymouth\u2019.\u00a0 I hate having to choose among plants, but if I had to pick only one of those, I would opt for \u2018Grey Lady Plymouth\u2019 because if offers a serendipitous combination of good looks and excellent fragrance.\u00a0 The deeply dissected leaves are edged in cream and accented at times with small, pale pink flowers.\u00a0 The fragrance is a complex blend\u2014mostly rose, with a little fruit thrown in.\u00a0 \u00a0Another old variety, \u2018Rober\u2019s Lemon Rose\u2019 is even more complex, with a nice mix of both scents.<\/p>\n

If you like something a little more woodsy, try \u2018Select Northern Pine\u2019, with leaves that are so finely dissected they are almost like the pine needles suggested by the rich evergreen fragrance.\u00a0 The small flowers are either pale purple or pink\/.purple.<\/p>\n

I usually turn to members of the dianthus family, or rugosa roses for spicy scents, but a few years ago, I bought a nutmeg-scented geranium, Pelargonium x fragrans, which has a true nutmeg fragrance.\u00a0 The green leaves have a grayish cast, and the fragrance is true nutmeg.\u00a0 Lovers of Old Spice products will adore Pelargonium x fragrans \u2018Logees\u2019, which lives up to its name.<\/p>\n

I have grown apple-scented mint in the garden, but Pelargonium odoratissimum exudes an even more pronounced apple fragrance.\u00a0 It compares favorably with its hardy geranium relative, Geranium macrorrhizum or large-leafed geranium, which also smells powerfully of apple.<\/p>\n

The best place to site a scented geranium is near seating areas or walkways, where the fragrance can be easily caught and appreciated.\u00a0 The plants like full sunlight, which means six hours per day.\u00a0 A little less probably won\u2019t hurt, but will affect flowering and, sometimes, intensity of scent.\u00a0 Good drainage and adequate moisture are necessary, though pelargoniums should not be spoiled with overwatering or excessively rich soil.<\/p>\n

In cold winter climates, grow your scented geraniums in pots and bring them inside to overwinter on a sunny windowsill.\u00a0 Growth will slow down, but it will not stop.\u00a0 My little crispum geranium is doing very nicely in my dining room, and has even managed a few flowers lately.\u00a0 The lemon fragrance is much less noticeable inside, but the plant\u2019s toughness gives me hope for the future.<\/p>\n

If you are yearning for a scented geranium, one of the best sources is New Jersey\u2019s Well Sweep Herb Farm, which carries scores of varieties.\u00a0 Find them at 205 Mount Bethel Rd
\nPort Murray, NJ 07865-4147, (908) 852-5390<\/a>, www.wellsweep.com<\/a>.\u00a0 Their complete plant list, which is enormous, is easy to download.\"scented<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was first smitten with scented-leaf geraniums on a visit to the Cornell Botanic Garden in Ithaca, New York.\u00a0 It was a sunny summer day and I passed a raised bed of vigorous geraniums near the Welcome Center.\u00a0 The sunshine had warmed the essential oils lurking at the bases of tiny leaf hairs, allowing visitors … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,2,3,5],"tags":[2828,222,2826,2829,2830,65,2827,2824,1600,2825],"class_list":["post-3883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fall","category-general-interest","category-spring","category-summer","category-winter","tag-citrus-scented-plants","tag-herbs","tag-imposter-plants","tag-pelargonium-crispum","tag-pelargonium-x-hybridum","tag-pelargoniums","tag-rose-scented-plants","tag-scented-geraniums","tag-scented-plants","tag-scented-leaf-geraniums"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3883"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3888,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3883\/revisions\/3888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}