The illustrated growing guide

Geranium (Zonal)

Pelargonium × hortorum

Family Geraniaceae

Est. zones 10-12

Botanical illustration of Geranium (Zonal) — Annual · Pelargonium × hortorum

The red porch-pot of the American Midwest. They'd rather be forgotten than fussed: sun, a gulp when dry, dead heads snapped. Overwinter the same plants for decades.

Annual

Where to buy the plant — 3 nurseries

Overview

Will geranium (zonal) suit your garden, and what goes wrong.

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Will it thrive where you are?

Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what geranium (zonal) actually needs.

Life cyclePerennial zones 10–12, annual elsewhere

Geranium (Zonal) at a glance

Life cyclePerennial zones 10–12, annual elsewhere

Mature size1-2 ft

PollinationMinor

Chill requirementNot yet established

Bloom seasonMay - Frost

Harvest seasonNot yet established

Growth rateModerate

Common geranium (zonal) problems

Budworms
Aphids
Botrytis on spent blooms
Edema (overwatering)

Growing

Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.

How to grow geranium (zonal): light, water & soil

LightFull Sun

WaterLow-Moderate — slightly dry beats soggy, always

SoilWell-drained potting mix · pH 6.0 - 6.5

FertilizerEvery 2-3 weeks in season

PruningNone — Snap spent bloom stalks at the base; pinch leggy stems. Winter whole pots on a cool bright sill — century-old tradition, still works.

Spacing10-12 in

When to spray geranium (zonal)

Growing season. Pick off spotted leaves; water mornings at the base.

Timing only — the label is the law

This is when to watch and when a treatment is worth considering, not a recommendation to apply any product. Read and follow the product label before you spray — under federal law the label is the legal instruction, and using a pesticide against it is illegal.

Check the pre-harvest interval. Every product that’s cleared for an edible crop sets a minimum number of days between spraying and picking. Find it on the label before you spray anything you intend to eat.
Check the re-entry interval before you or anyone else works in the treated area again, and use the protective equipment the label names.
Confirm the product is registered for geranium (zonal) in your state. A product legal on one crop is not legal on all of them, and state registrations differ — your state pesticide agency or local extension office can confirm both.
Rates and mixing instructions come from the label, never from us. We don’t publish them because they differ by product and formulation.

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The year

What geranium (zonal) asks for, month by month.

The geranium (zonal) year, month by month

MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Bloom

What each band means

Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.

The geranium (zonal) year as text

Jan quiet month
Feb quiet month
Mar quiet month
Apr quiet month
May bloom
Jun quiet month
Jul quiet month
Aug quiet month
Sep quiet month
Oct quiet month
Nov quiet month
Dec quiet month

These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.

Ecology & uses

What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.

Geranium (Zonal) in the garden system

AttractsButterflies, Hummingbirds

MoistureUpland / dry

DeerBrowsed — protect young plants

OriginIntroduced

What geranium (zonal) is grown for

! Some parts toxic — see notesToxic to dogs/cats (mild)

UsePorch urns

UseWindow boxes

UseOverwintering heirlooms

Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.

Cultivars

Named varieties of geranium (zonal), ruled as a catalogue.

Best geranium (zonal) varieties & cultivars

Zonal (classic); Ivy (trailing balconies); Scented-leaf (rose, lemon — the mosquito-folklore ones); Regal (cool-season show)

Sources & plant ID

Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.

Research basis

Sources behind this profile

No extension citations are attached to geranium (zonal)yet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.

Plant ID

BinomialPelargonium × hortorum

FamilyGeraniaceae

TypeAnnual · Tender Perennial

USDA symbolPEHO2

OriginIntroduced

Invasive riskLow

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Where to buy

Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.

Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.

Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.

Nature HillsKarmina Cranesbill Geranium$27.81↗Nature HillsEspresso Cranesbill Geranium$37.90↗EtsyBrowse growers↗

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Questions

Geranium (Zonal) questions, answered straight.

Is geranium (zonal) safe for kids and pets?

With care. Toxic to dogs/cats (mild) Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.

Elsewhere

Where geranium (zonal) sits in the library.

Where geranium (zonal) sits in the library

Houseplants59 All collections

Grows in the same world