Common horticultural 'geraniums' (Pelargonium X hortorum) are readily recognized by most people. The plants are of confused parentage (years of unrecorded hybridizing), mass-produced, and sold by the millions. The plants are tolerant and good for a bed of color.

The second most recognizable are cherished by gardeners. These are the scented-leaf species and their derivatives (hybrids and cultivars) like the photographed chocolate mint-scented cultivar. The scented-leaf varieties are generally velvety-fuzzy and range in fragrance from apple and rose-scented to spicy and citrusy. Essential oils are extracted from several species and used in the perfume industry.

During summer, the leaves of the 'Chocolate Mint' develop a dark brown patch on each leaf, the coloring fades in winter. The photographed plant has survived seven winters and tolerated temperatures down to 30 degrees F (0 degrees C). It began blooming in late February.

Pelargonium were introduced to Europe in the early seventeenth century. Jan Commelin working at the garden at Leiden first called the plants geranium for the characteristics they shared with the European crane's bills, the true Geranium genus. The misnomer has stood for over three hundred years. According to Matija Strlic (2000), Johannes Burman began calling these South African imports, pelargonium, stork's bills, in 1738. (http://www2.arnes.si/~mstrli/history.html) The genus designation, Pelargonium, is officially credited to Charles L'Heritier de Brutelle and William Aiton.

The genus Pelargonium contains around two hundred species; most are native to Africa, a few to Syria, Australia, and scattered islands in the Indian Ocean. The genus has been divided into fifteen sections and, oddly, the most interesting 'geraniums' are almost unknown in the horticultural trade.