Pelargonium odoratissmum

Pelargonium odoratissimum, the apple geranium, is an aromatic evergreen perennial used by people in several ways. The leaves are added as a condiment in salads, soups, pastries and other dishes. Medicinally it has been used for throat infections, skin complaints, burn wounds, reducing fevers and more. An essential oil can also be obtained from the plant for use in aromatherapy, perfumes and as an insect repellent. It also finds its way into pot-pourri leaf combinations.

The roundish leaves are toothed and apparently sometimes deeply lobed, (unless the markedly lobed leaf plants shown as P. odoratissimum in the literature belong to a different species). The flowers are white (some say also pink) with small dark pink or purplish markings on the upper two petals. The distribution area along forest margins lies in the Eastern Cape and to the north into KwaZulu-Natal (www.cretanherbalchem.com; www.pfaf.org; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984).