Cicadas nymphs- damage to the roots of pelargoniums

Picture by Photo by Αλέξανδρος: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-macro-shot-of-a-cicada-8822316/

In the Mediterranean, cicadas nymphs can cause a lot of damage to the roots of pelargoniums and other young plants by piercing them with their sharp jaws and then feasting on their juices, which are sweet tasting like sugar. This causes the pelargonium to slowly deteriorate, as they create small burrows in the soil just below the roots after the adult cicadas have laid clutches of eggs (on woody stems or bark about 3.81cm or more) and can go unnoticeable until the leaves begin to turn yellow. Potted plants seem to be more susceptible than ones which are planted in the ground. They are native to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, America and parts of Asia and the Pacific, with an estimate of around 3,000 species around the globe.

These noisy winged creatures that arrive during the summer are known to suck the sap out of trees and shrubs during feeding. larger trees are less affected, but the more sensitive or young ones may need to be covered with netting which reaches over the whole of the plant so the cicadas don’t have any access to it, this will need to be done before their arrival and when it starts to get hotter in temperature.

If you think your plant may have been affected you can remove the pot after it has been watered, possibly pulling away some of the soil at the base and checking for any signs of small barrows and or cicadas nymphs, rootworms can also be a problem for some gardeners. For pelargoniums planted in the ground, it may need to be dug up and their roots checked and replanted in another location, the plant will be weak at this point so best to place it in a shady place for a while until it is returned to health.

Discover more about pelargoniums on our website at www.pelargoniumspeciesworld.com

References https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/reviewed/2021/05/03/how-protect-your-garden-cicada-masses/7123708002/

The lovely magenta flowers of Pelargonium reniforme

The lovely magenta flowers of P. reniforme, a trailing low growing shrubby plant with greyish green soft velvet-like leaves which have a very light aromatic scent and are more silver in colour underneath, the name ‘reniforme’ refers to the kidney-shaped leaves. The flowers are formed in an inflorescence of about ten flowers on long flowering stems, the two upper petals are thin and oblong with darker veins and blotches.

This plant has tuber-like roots which can be used medicinally as an infusion for curing several ailments, mostly respiratory and chest infections, such as bronchitis, tuberculosis & dysentery (from the 1890s) for both humans and animals, it is unknown if it causes any side effects, the powdered form is used as a face cream to help remove pimples and is also believed to have antimicrobial benefits used to kill or reduce bacteria.

There appear to be two different forms of P. reniforme, the first has trailing stems which become woodier as it matures with less curving bright flowers and thicker flower petals, while the other has a more upright growth resembling that of P. sidoides with bigger leaves, which tends to be rarer in cultivation.

It is native to the Eastern Cape and Lesotho on higher ground where it grows in hot sandy conditions or open areas covered with grasses and can also grow well in a range of different altitudes. Unfortunately, native plants are illegally taken from the wild and sold or used medicinally possibly causing the slow decline of this amazing species.

Discover more about pelargoniums on our website at www.pelargoniumspeciesworld.com