Home › Geranium › Pelargonium × hortorum

Geranium cultivar

Pelargonium × hortorum

Zonal geranium

V Written by Editorial Team · Updated January 2026

Pelargonium × hortorum is the classic zonal geranium grown for summer color in beds and containers. It forms upright mounds with rounded leaves that often show a darker central band. Umbels of single to double flowers bloom freely in many colors. It performs best in full sun with afternoon shade in very hot areas. It is tender to frost and is treated as an annual across most of North America. Bloom can slow in hot and humid midsummer but resumes as nights cool. It is easy to grow when soil drains well and spent clusters are removed.

Geranium Pelargonium × hortorum
Add to Preferred Sources
in bloom
now
through Oct
Bloom calendar

Pelargonium × hortorum

Zonal geranium

At‑a‑glance

  • Group/Class: Zonal geranium
  • Height × spread: 12 to 36 in × 12 to 36 in (30 to 90 cm × 30 to 90 cm)
  • Bloom window: Late spring to fall; slows in peak summer heat
  • Color & flower form: Rounded clusters of single to double blooms in red, pink, salmon, orange, white, and purple
  • Fragrance: 0 none
  • USDA hardiness: Zones 10 to 11; grown as annual elsewhere
  • Breeder / Year / Origin: Unknown; complex hybrid with Pelargonium zonale and P. inquinans; South African species origin
  • Pet safety: avoid

How it differs

  • Upright mounding habit rather than trailing stems.
  • Dark leaf banding is typical and helps identification.
  • Blooms freely but can pause in extreme heat and humidity compared with hardy geraniums.
  • Frost tender; used as a seasonal annual in most of the region.

Strengths

  • Long, colorful display with routine deadheading.
    • Performs well in containers and massed bedding.
    • Low maintenance in well‑drained soil.
    • Tolerates rabbit browsing.

Care in one minute

Site in full sun; give afternoon shade where summers are very hot.
• Plant in average to rich, well‑drained soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline.
• Water when the top inch of soil dries; avoid constant wetness.
• Feed lightly every 4 to 6 weeks during active growth.
• Remove spent flower clusters and pinch to keep plants bushy.
• Before frost, take cuttings or overwinter indoors in a bright, cool window or as dormant potted plants.

Watch‑outs

  • Not winter‑hardy; protect from frost.
    • Leaf spots and gray mold can appear in wet weather.
    • Tobacco budworm may chew buds and flowers.
    • Waterlogged soil can cause root and stem rot.

Best uses (tags)

  • containers
  • borders
  • bedding
  • heat‑tolerant

Provenance note

Zonal geraniums are complex hybrids in which Pelargonium zonale and P. inquinans are dominant parents; both species are native to South Africa.

References

Similar Flowers

Geranium Pelargonium graveolens

Pelargonium graveolens

Geranium 'Rozanne'

Geranium 'Rozanne'

Geranium sanguineum

Geranium sanguineum

Geranium Pelargonium × hortorum

Pelargonium × hortorum

Geranium Pelargonium peltatum

Pelargonium peltatum

Geranium Pelargonium × domesticum

Pelargonium × domesticum

Enjoying our flower guides? Add YourFlowersGuide as a preferred source on Google — it helps more readers find us.

Add to Preferred Sources

Written by: Your Flowers Guide editorial team
We are a small independent group of flower lovers who research and review each guide using trusted horticultural and educational sources. Learn more about us