Pelargonium citronellum

Pelargonium citronellum, the lemon-scented Pelargonium, is an evergreen, perennial shrub. It has herbaceous branches when young, developing a woody rootstock as it matures and grows to spreading proportions and 2 m tall. Stems and leaves are sparsely hairy. The leaves are simple, alternate and palmate, with deep, pointed lobes and the surface conspicuously veined. The flowers are light pink with dark purple markings on the two bigger, upper petals, blooming in spring and early summer. The stamens are dark pink.

The species distribution is in the western Little Karoo, the northern foothills of the Langeberg near Ladismith and Herbertsdale.

This species is well established in the gardening world.  It grows easily and is hardy. Flowering is best in full sun. The strong lemon scent adds to the plants attraction. It is sometimes used as a culinary herb and as an insect repellant (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; www.plantzafrica.com).