Pelargonium crithmifolium at the end of its flowering season

This Pelargonium crithmifolium plant of the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, photographed in August, has nearly done flowering for the season. The succulent perennial shrublet is performing strongly after the winter rains, presenting an abundance of erect fruits pointing upwards like arms above the foliage.

The thick, fleshy stems are branched, somewhat angular and unevenly shaped. The bark of this species may be either smooth or peeling. Foliage and flowering activity occur at stem tips, showing ample yellow to grey bare stem lower down.

Plants in nature attain heights up to 1,2 m. Not in all the arid places where this plant is happy to maintain its presence. In cultivation they grow even taller (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; www.plantzafrica.com).