Pelargonium ionidiflorum

Pelargonium ionidiflorum also known as the violet flower pelargonium is growing well.

It is a low growing shrub let with bright green aromatic leaves which have a celery like scent and the elegant flowers are pale pink to a darker shade of violet.

This plant is native to the Eastern Cape where it grows in rocky areas or among other plants with rain all year round, hot summers and fairly cold winters.

The name iondiflorum  refers to the violet colour of the flowers and the hybrid pelargoniums Deerwood lavender lass and Deerwood lavender lad are derived from this plant.

 

P. ionidiflorum

P. ionidiflorum is a small & beautiful woody pelargonium that grows to about 40cm. The brightly coloured flowers are light pink to dark violet in colour with deep red markings on the upper petals, the name of this particular plant is taken from the Greek word “ion” meaning the colour violet and “florum” meaning flower in Latin. The delicate scented leaves are soft, bright green elliptic and divided.
This pelargonium is fairly common and in its native habitat it mostly grows in rocky areas of the Eastern Cape, it prefers dry soil conditions and can grow in hanging baskets, rock gardens, window boxes or as a border.
This plant has also created some lovely cultivars in the USA when hybridized with P. dichondrifolium, P. australe and P. odoratissimum to produce Lavender lad, Lavender lass and also Lilac lady.