From Robin Parer’s Geraniaceae site comes possible confirmation as to the identity of my 3-year-old, winter-flowering, summer-dormant pelargonium, P. echinatum, whose winter performance in a 6-inch pot thrills me no end. Just as cold-climate gardeners haul their tender beauties out of mothballs every spring after danger of frost has passed, here in zone 10 the reverse process can occur in fall for summer dormant plants. About the time in November I’m tipping over the huge pot of the tropical Xanthosoma ‘Lime Zinger’ to keep it rain-free during the winter, growth appears on this charmer, signaling the need for moisture:
PlantzAfrica has extensive information on this species’ care and propagation. Possibilities are only limited by the number of pots containing ostensibly dead plants one has table space and tolerance for in summer, a time when one hopes their garden affirms life in its strongest voice. The danger is in tucking their unsightly dormant state too far out of sight and mind in summer, where the resurgence will go unnoticed in fall. Ensured success is as simple as tipping the pot right side up again to accept winter rains.
Pelargonium echinatum
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