Black in the Garden - Pelargonium sidoides
This particular plant sometimes referred to as the African Geranium sports its flowers on wiry delicate stems combining well with its silver foliage that works superbly in summer pots. It’s not as vigorous or as big as some of the other popular pelargoniums so if mixing the two together, be aware that sidoides could be easily swamped by its more enthusiastic cousins.
Once you have a few plants you will find they are particularly easy to propagate because each stem throws up a nice rosette of leaves. These can be detached with a short bit of stem and rooted quite easily in a general purpose potting mix with or without the use of a rooting gel. Pelargonium sidoides is surprisingly hardy. We have them in a large pot as underplanting to a standard bay tree. They have remained outside for 5 winters now and come back every spring to flower until the first frosts or often later.
Free monthly magazine
The monthly read for gardeners who want to go deeper.
Thirty-odd issues in, Potpourri Magazine is the gardening magazine people forward to their friends. Plant folklore, exceptional gardens, horticultural heroes, and the odd exclusive deal — once a month, free, straight to your inbox.
Free, monthly, unsubscribe any time. No spam, ever.
Something went wrong — please check your email address and try again.
Almost there — check your inbox.
We've sent you a confirmation email. Click the link in it to complete your subscription to Potpourri Magazine.
