Pelargonium zonale

Pelargonium zonale, sometimes called the horseshoe pelargonium or zonal pelargonium is a softly woody shrub of up to 1,5 m that does not sprout after fire. Young stems are nearly succulent and hairy.

The leaves are rounded, shallowly lobed, the margins irregularly toothed. Pale green veins are prominent on the lower leaf surfaces. The leaves are slightly hairy and give off a strong scent when crushed. Leaf size may reach 8 cm in diameter.

Halfway to the leaf centre the so-called zonal markings occur, nearly circular and usually faintly red. These zonal markings form a curve on the leaf surface, as seen in the picture. In this specimen the zonal markings are quite squiggly. The name horseshoe pelargonium is derived from the fact that the zonal curve is not closed, but somewhat U-shaped, open on the side of the petiole or leaf stalk. Several other Pelargonium species, such as P. alchemilloides also have zonal markings that persist in some garden cultivars.

This species occurs on an east-west, coastal and inland strip in the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal.

It grows on stony slopes in sandy soil, often in sheltered spots like forest margins and near watercourses. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Manning, 2009; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).