Zonal Pelargoniums
Zonal pelargoniums are hybrids;bastard crosses) whose parents were Pelargonium zonal (zonal girdle) and Pelargonium inquires. To date, hundreds of different varieties have)en bred. Depending on which)argent is more dominant in a particular variety, a brownish “girdle”
marking can be seen on each leaf.
Appearance and similarities
All zonal pelargonium hybrids grow upright. Nearly all varieties have relatively large \eaves and robust’s\\ugh\ay ‘navy shook’s, The t\overgrow on long stalks and consist of umbels with varying numbers of individual blooms. Some zonal pelargonium flowers are single u-most are double.
Single flowers means that the individual flower has five petal:like As parents. Double flowers have more petals, as, through breeding, they have developed extra petals which have metamorphosed from the stamens and sty Zonal pelargoniums come in man colors: shades of glowing red, pink and bright pink. Shades of slopping and pure white are fairly large but can be used for unusual conations of plants.
Zonal pelargoniums ar especially suitable as:
•they can be arranged in combinations with other summer flowers;
•they can be trained into standards without a great deal of trouble;
•over wintering presents no great problems:
•they can be propagated easily from cuttings taken from shoot tips.
Hanging and semi-pendent pelargoniums
The hanging pelargoniums(Pelargonium – Platt hybrids)A/ere created by crossing the wild pelargonium pelt (pelta =ihield) with other wild species. Theiame refers to the leaves, which, in:ontrast with the softer, hairy leaves of zonal pelargoniums, areleshy, thick and shield-shaped.i-he semi-pendent pelargoniums(Pelargonium – Zonale x Peltatumhybrids} are hybrids which wereproduced by crossing zonal andhanging pelargoniums. They arealso known as semi-hanging orsemi-peltates.
Appearance and similaritiesIn their South African homeland,hanging or semi-pendent pelargoniums may grow shoots up to 80 in(2 m) long. These shoots trail onthe ground or climb, creeper-like,into higher bushes. The flowers ofbred varieties are partly single,
- partly double. They come in glori-ous shades of red, pink, deep pink,and even white.
Cascade varieties
The cascade varieties are a speciagroup, within the hangingpelargoniums, which wasrediscovered a few years ago inFrance. Their outer appearancedistinguishes them quite clearlyfrom other
hanging pelargoniums, as theirflowers look very similar to those c-wild pelargoniums (see photo oninside front cover) with single,delicately shaped petals and smaflowers. Their vigorous growth ancabundance of flowers, however, isunrivaled among all other pelargo-niums. Well-cared-for cascade var-eties (for example, “Ville de Paris,”No. 4, “Lachscascade,” or “Feuercascade,” No. 3) can form trailing shoots of up to5 ft (1.5 m) in length, which arecompletely covered in flowers,while the mini-cascades (for example, “Lila Mini-Cascade” and”Rote Mini-Cascade”) can grow upto 20 in (50 cm). Another advan-tage is that the cascade varietiesare “self-kidying.” When the -flowersdie, their petals wither and curl up so small that you can hardly see
them. They do not fall. Anyone who has spent the summer sweeping
up fallen red or pink petals under large balcony, will appreciate what
a boon this can be.
Overwintering the very Ic-:cascade varieties can be a littletedious. Instead. why not take cut-tings in the fall and overwinter theyoung plants?
1. “Rio”
Flower: single. Color: light pink,becoming darker towards the center, with dark red markings .Inflorescence: umbel with 10-15single flowers. Leaf: large, dark green with slightly wavy edges. Growth: upright, compact. Note: are cent variety with unusual flowers,blooms very abundantly. and is weather-resistant, suitable for indoors, balcony, or garden.
2. “Fidelio”
Flower: large, double individual flowers. Color: pinkish-red. Inflorescence: umbel with 15-20individual flowers. Leaf: large, deep green, faint light brown leaf ring .Growth: upright, vigorous growth.Note: very early-flowering variety,weather-hardy, suitable for indoors,balconies, patios, and garden (evening flower beds).
3. “Bolero”
Flower: large, double individual flowers. Color: glowing red. Inflorescence: umbels with 15-25separate flowers. Leaf: dark green,slightly wavy edge.
Growth: upright, branches quickly.Note: weather-resistant, early-flowering, for indoors, balconies,patios, and gardens.
4. “Flirtpel”
Flower: large, semi-double individ-ual flowers. Color: glowing pink,turning lighter toward the center,with fine dark red markings .Inflorescence: umbels with 10-15individual flowers. Leaf: small,without markings, edges slightly lobed. Growth: upright, compact.Note: early-flowering balcony. container, and bedding pelargonium,needs lots of feeding.
5. “Cabaret”
Flower: large, semi-double individual flowers. Color: glowing salmon pink to orange red, silvery under-sides to petals. Inflorescence:large umbels with 15-20 individual flowers. Growth: upright, branches very quickly. Leaf: dark green,lobed edge. Note: the withered petals do not fall off; suitable for indoors, balconies, patios. and gardens.
6. “Champagne”
Flower: large, single flower.
Color: light salmon pink with white center. Inflorescence: umbel wit’-10-20 single individual flowers,early flowering, abundant.
Leaf: light green with light brov-.leaf ring, slightly lobed edges. Growth: upright, compact,branches well. Note: pretty variety which looks good against a darker background. Suitable for indoors. balconies, patios, and the garden.
7.”Kardinal”
Flower: very large, single
flowers. Color: dark lilac, dente- :-flower violet, orange, or scarlet .Inflorescence: very large dumbest 15-20 individual flowers.
Leaf: large, dark green, faintly ,e.g. leaf ring, slightly lobe:edge. Growth: upright, very vic:•-onus growth. Note: suitable for indoors, balconies, patios, and t-e garden (in containers or flowerbeds), will tolerate semi-shady positions.
8. “Stadt Bern”
Flower: small, single flowers.olor: brilliant red.
Inflorescence: umbels with individual flowers. Leaf: soma :auk green with black leaf ring. Grace.-√É‚Äö√Ǭ±upright. Note: will tolerate se–shade, suitable for indoors-conies, patios, and gardens.
9. “Amethyst”
Flower: large, semi-double individual flowers. Color: dark lilac with black markings in the center, the undersides of the petals are silvery .Inflorescence: umbels with 4-10individual flowers. Leaf: dark
green, fleshy, smooth on top, lobed edges. Growth: compact, short,hanging shoots. Note: very popular variety for balconies, containers,and mixed groups of plants, will stay compact even in a flower box.
10. “Vile de Paris”
Flower: single. Color: dark red markings on a lighter red back-ground, which may grow a little pal erin very sunny positions .Inflorescence: umbels with 2-8 individual flowers. Leaf: medium-sized,with smooth upper side, edges strongly lobed. Growth: hanging,very vigorously growing (up to 5 ft/1.5 m per year). Note: ancestor of all cascade varieties; suitable for all sites. NB: needs lots of feeding.
11. “Mexikanerin”
Flower: very large, double flowers.olor: white with red edges and red mar\K\r\g’s rn the Chevy\ku(S. Inflorescence: umbels with 3-6individual flowers. Leaf: medium-sized, lobed edges, faintly visible leaf ring. Growth: hanging. Note:early-flowering, will thrive in semi-shady position too; specially suit-able for baskets and balcony boxes.
12. “Solidor”
Flower: very large, semi-double,individual flowers. Color: light salmon pink with dark red eye. Inflorescence: umbels with 5-10individual flowers, very abundantly flowering. Leaf: light green, fleshy,smooth upper sides, edges with pointed lobes. Growth: very weather-resistant, suitable for many uses (for example, contain-ers, balcony boxes, etc).
13. “Schiine von Grenchen”
Flower: large, semi-double, individual flowers. Color: warm, brilliant shade of red. Inflorescence:umbels with 3-10 individual flowers.Leaf: medium-sized to large, light green, lobed edges. Growth: semi-pendent (a cross between upright and hanging pelargoniums), com-pact growth. Note: well-known variety, weather-resistant, relatively resistant to diseases, easy to prop-agate, good for over wintering.
14. “Tavira”
Flower: large, double flowers with slightly wavy petals. Color: brilliant red. Inflorescence: umbels with 3-6 flowers. Leaf: medium-sized,lobed edges. Growth: hanging,vigorously growing. Note: very weather-resistant variety, suitable for balcony boxes, containers, and mixed groups of plants.
15. “Feuercascade”
Flower: single. Color: fire red with fine, dark red markings .Inflorescence: umbels with 3-12individual flowers. Leaf: small, dark green, edges with pointed lobes. Growth: hanging, very vigorously growing (up to 5 ft/1.5 m per year).Note: weather-resistant, “self-tidy-in,” universally suitable for bal-conies, walls, baskets, large containers, requires lots of fertilizer.NB: often sold under the name of”Balk on Imperial.”
16. “Sugar Baby”
Flower: miniature to small individual flowers, double flowering.olor: light pink. Inflorescence:umbels with 4-10 individual flow-ers. Leaf: medium-sized, light green, fleshy, smooth, with 5 segments. Growth: hanging, medium vigorous growth. Note: attractive pot variety, also for baskets,basins, and individual planting,masses of buds; slightly sensitive to weather conditions.
17. “Galilee”
Flower: medium-sized, semi-double flowers: Color: light pink becoming darker towards the center, with silvery undersides. Inflorescence: umbels with 2-6individual flowers, profusely blocking. Leaf: small, dark green, flesh:smooth upper side, edges very lobed. Growth: hanging. long shoots. Note: suitable for Balfour,boxes and containers, goes well with upright red pelargoniums.
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