Pelargonium tomentosum

Pelargonium tomentosum, the peppermint pelargonium, is a sprawling shrublet with exceptionally aromatic leaves. It usually reaches a height of only about 5 cm.

The leaves are simple, characteristically lobed, sometimes in an angular fashion. The leaves are covered with matted, curved hairs as the name (tomentose) suggests. The soft hairs create a velvety effect, also on the stems.

Some of these hairs are also glandular, secreting one or more essential oils. The oil exudes the plants strong peppermint scent. Essential oils serve in nature to protect the producer plants from herbivores and pathogens. There are many kinds of these organic oil substances. Some of these oils have found their way into a wide range of human applications. This has brought about monoculture cultivation of the plants that yield them on farm land with concomitant distilling operations. Pelargonium is one of the genera involved in the commercial production of essential oils.

The flowers of P. tomentosum are white with purple markings, blooming in late spring and early summer.

The species distribution is in the Western Cape from Caledon to Riversdale.

The plant’s habitat is moist and semi-shaded forest margins and stream banks in coastal fynbos. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century.

The plant is a good garden subject, especially as a ground cover in semi-shade; also as a culinary herb (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Wikipedia; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).