# Geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum)

Canonical: https://plantguide.ae/plants/geranium · Updated: 2026-10-29
Source: Plant Guide (https://plantguide.ae/plants/geranium)

Geranium · لقلقي  
flower · exotic · family Geraniaceae · grows 0.25–0.5 m tall, 0.25–0.5 m wide · moderate growth  
full sun · moderate water need  
Ratings for Dubai (1–5, 5 is best): heat 2 · salt 2 · drought 3 · shade 2 · ease of care 4  
Sow or plant: Oct–Mar  
Uses: bedding, container  
Garden styles: manicured, luxury

## Also known as

- **English:** Pelargonium, Zonal geranium, Garden geranium, Bedding geranium, Zonal pelargonium
- **Botanical synonyms:** *Pelargonium × hybridum*
- **Arabic (العربية):** لقلقي, بلارجونيوم (belargonium)
- **Persian (فارسی):** شمعدانی (shamdani)

A winter pot-and-bed favourite on Dubai Municipality's list as pelargonium: plant October to March, expect flowers through the cool months, and enjoy it while it lasts, because above about 30 °C it declines fast.

## About

Meet the geranium, the bedding plant with ball-like flower heads in red, pink and white above rounded, lobed leaves. What gardeners and garden centres call a geranium is botanically a Pelargonium, and Dubai Municipality lists it under that name among the seasonal flowers it plants.

It is made for pots, balcony railings, window boxes and beds. Souq Garden calls it a UAE cool-season favourite, and Gulf News included geraniums among Dubai's flowers of the season back in 2004.

Its limit is plain: Souq Garden says it thrives at roughly 10–25 °C and declines quickly above about 30 °C, so it is a winter plant. In Dubai that means a planting season from October to March and a flowering season that ends when April's heat does.

The common garden geranium is Pelargonium × hortorum, the zonal geranium, a hybrid between Pelargonium zonale and P. inquinans. Wikipedia describes leaves marked with a brown ring or 'zone' and large balls of tight flowers, usually red, pink or white, on plants sold for windowsills, balconies and beds. RHS gives a compact, tender evergreen perennial no more than about 50 cm tall; Souq Garden gives 25–40 cm for its UAE-grown plants. Pelargonium is a different genus from the true geraniums, or cranesbills, which are mostly temperate plants that die down in winter.

In Dubai it is grown as a winter annual. UF/IFAS says that in South and Central Florida, where geraniums are used as winter annuals, they are planted from October to March, and Souq Garden gives the same October-to-March window for the UAE. Dubai Municipality lists Pelargonium among its seasonal flowers (Emirates 24|7 in 2016; Al Bayan in 2020, where the director general uses the Arabic «البلارجونيوم»). The ceiling is temperature: Souq Garden says it thrives at roughly 10–25 °C, declines quickly above about 30 °C and will not survive a UAE peak summer outdoors, and UF/IFAS says geraniums do poorly in summer heat and humidity.

Soil is less of a problem than for many bedding flowers. RHS says it grows in well-drained, fertile, neutral to alkaline soil, which suits Dubai's alkaline sand once compost has been added for nutrients. It wants full sun, tolerates partial shade, and should be allowed to dry between waterings: RHS says to irrigate moderately and let the compost dry up, and Souq Garden says to water when the top of the soil dries and to avoid waterlogging.

## Through the year

The Dubai geranium's year is the cool season. Souq Garden and UF/IFAS both give October to March for planting. With October's highs near 36 °C, plant in the evening and shade new plants for a week; by November, when highs are near 31 °C, the plants are settled. They flower from about November and carry through the coolest months. As the mean maximum climbs from 28.9 °C in March to 33.7 °C in April, flowering slows, and Souq Garden advises that above about 30 °C the plants decline quickly. Beds are cleared in April or May for summer bedding such as [Vinca](https://plantguide.ae/plants/vinca.md).

| When | What | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Oct–Mar | Plant: Cool-season planting window | UF/IFAS gives October to March for winter geraniums; Souq Garden gives October to March for the UAE. Plant in the evening and shade new plants in October. |
| Nov–Apr | Flowers: Flowers through the cool months | Pinch off spent flowers to keep blooms coming (Souq Garden, RHS). |
| Nov–Mar | Feed: Feed about every two weeks | Souq Garden advises a flowering-plant fertiliser every two weeks; RHS suggests a balanced liquid feed, then high potassium once flowering starts. |
| Nov–Feb | Pest watch: Whitefly, thrips and rust | RHS lists thrips, whitefly, root mealybugs, leafhoppers, Pelargonium rust and leafy gall. Good air movement helps. |
| Apr–Jun | Heat stress: Declines above about 30 °C | Souq Garden: above about 30 °C it declines quickly and will not survive a UAE peak summer outdoors. |

## Care in Dubai

- **Watering in summer:** Not grown outdoors through summer; Souq Garden says it will not survive peak summer outdoors.
- **Watering in winter:** Water when the top of the soil dries and avoid waterlogging (Souq Garden); RHS says to irrigate moderately and let the compost dry between waterings.
- **While establishing:** Keep evenly moist for the first two weeks, then water only when the top of the soil has dried.
- **Soil:** Well-drained, fertile, neutral to alkaline soil (RHS). Add compost to Dubai's sand for nutrients, and use pots with drainage holes (UF/IFAS).
- **Feeding:** A flowering-plant fertiliser every two weeks (Souq Garden), or a balanced liquid feed, switching to high potassium when flowering starts (RHS).
- **Pruning:** Pinch back the tips of shoots and deadhead to promote flowering (RHS). Pinch off spent flowers to keep blooms coming (Souq Garden, UF/IFAS).
- **Planting:** Plant from October to March in full sun, spaced 30–60 cm apart in beds (UF/IFAS), with a three- to four-inch layer of organic matter worked into the soil, or in pots with drainage holes.
- **Pests and problems:** Whitefly; Thrips; Root mealybugs; Pelargonium rust; Leafhoppers
- **Toxicity:** The ASPCA lists geranium (Pelargonium species) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, giving the toxic principles as geraniol and linalool and the signs as vomiting, anorexia, depression and dermatitis. Plantsworld's listing also advises keeping it away from children and pets. Keep it out of reach, and wear gloves if the sap irritates your skin.

## Good and bad

**Pros**
- Months of continuous colour through the cool season (Souq Garden)
- On Dubai Municipality's seasonal list, so easy to find as UAE-grown plants
- Grows in neutral to alkaline soil and in pots (RHS)
- Does best with the soil allowed to dry between waterings (RHS)
- Suits balconies, window boxes and borders

**Cons**
- Declines quickly above about 30 °C and cannot survive a Dubai summer outdoors
- Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA)
- Rots if overwatered or planted in waterlogged soil
- Whitefly, thrips and rust can affect it (RHS)

## Common mistakes

- Trying to keep it through summer. Souq Garden says geraniums will not survive a UAE peak summer outdoors, and above about 30 °C they decline quickly.
- Overwatering. Souq Garden advises watering when the top of the soil dries, and RHS says to let the compost dry between waterings.
- Planting in a hot October spell without shade. Plant in the evening and shade new plants for a week.
- Skipping deadheading. Pinching off spent flowers keeps new blooms coming (Souq Garden, RHS, UF/IFAS).
- Leaving them within reach of pets. The ASPCA lists geraniums as toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

## Good to know

- 'Geranium' in shops and 'Pelargonium' in botany are the same plant; the true Geranium, or cranesbill, is a different genus (Wikipedia).
- UF/IFAS also describes scented geraniums, grown for their aromatic leaves, which can smell of mint, rose, lemon, cinnamon or chocolate. They too struggle in summer heat.
- Dubai Municipality's director general uses the Arabic «البلارجونيوم» (belargonium) for it in Al Bayan (2020).
- WCVP, the checklist behind Kew's Plants of the World Online, treats Pelargonium × hortorum as a synonym of Pelargonium × hybridum.

## Using it in a garden

Roles: Container colour, Balcony and window box, Cool-season bedding, Border infill

Plant geraniums in full sun in beds with free-draining, compost-enriched soil, or in pots with drainage holes, which UF/IFAS says they grow well in. They are at their best in a mass of one colour: a pair of red pots beside a door, a row of white along a balcony rail, or a block of pink at the front of a border. Put them where they will get deadheading and where the pots can be moved into shade if a warm spell comes. UF/IFAS suggests spacing them 12 to 24 inches apart (30–60 cm) to form a solid ground cover.

- [Petunia](https://plantguide.ae/plants/petunia.md): Petunia's trumpet flowers contrast with the geranium's ball-shaped heads, and both are on Dubai Municipality's seasonal list with the same October planting date.
- [Sweet alyssum](https://plantguide.ae/plants/sweet-alyssum.md): A low carpet of alyssum along the edge hides the geranium's bare lower stems, and both are planted in the same cool-season window.
- [Snapdragon](https://plantguide.ae/plants/snapdragon.md): Upright snapdragon spikes behind geraniums give a bed both height and mass, with the same cool-season calendar.

## FAQ

**When should I plant geraniums in Dubai?**  
From October to March. Souq Garden gives that window for the UAE and UF/IFAS gives it for winter geraniums in South and Central Florida. Shade new plants in October.

**Will geraniums survive a Dubai summer?**  
No. Souq Garden says they will not survive a UAE peak summer outdoors and decline quickly above about 30 °C, and UF/IFAS says they do poorly in summer heat and humidity. Treat them as a cool-season plant.

**Is a geranium the same as a pelargonium?**  
In garden centres, yes. The bedding geranium is Pelargonium × hortorum. The true Geranium, or cranesbill, is a different genus.

**Will geraniums grow in Dubai's alkaline soil?**  
RHS says Pelargonium × hortorum grows in well-drained, fertile, neutral to alkaline soil, and Souq Garden sells UAE-grown plants. Add compost to sand and keep the drainage free.

**Are geraniums safe for pets?**  
No. The ASPCA lists geranium (Pelargonium) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with vomiting, anorexia, depression and dermatitis as signs.

## Related plants

[Petunia](https://plantguide.ae/plants/petunia.md) · [Snapdragon](https://plantguide.ae/plants/snapdragon.md) · [Sweet alyssum](https://plantguide.ae/plants/sweet-alyssum.md) · [Verbena](https://plantguide.ae/plants/verbena.md)

## Photos

![A bed of bedding geraniums (Pelargonium × hortorum) in red, pink and white](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Pelargonium_x_hortorum_2zz.jpg)  
Photo: David J. Stang / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pelargonium_x_hortorum_2zz.jpg))

![Red zonal geranium (Pelargonium hortorum) flower heads above rounded, scalloped leaves](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/K%C4%B1rm%C4%B1z%C4%B1_Sardunya-2_%28Pelargonium_hortorum%29.jpg)  
Photo: Cann66 / CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:K%C4%B1rm%C4%B1z%C4%B1_Sardunya-2_(Pelargonium_hortorum).jpg))

![Red and white zonal geraniums (Pelargonium hortorum) flowering side by side](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Geranio_%28Pelargonium_hortorum%29_%2814866891154%29.jpg)  
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geranio_(Pelargonium_hortorum)_(14866891154).jpg))

## Sources

- [Souq Garden: Geranium Mix, care guide for the UAE (UAE shop listing, checked 29 October 2026)](https://www.souqgarden.com/products/geranium-mix-3-plants-in-4l)
- [UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Geraniums](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/geraniums/)
- [RHS: Pelargonium × hortorum](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/160286/pelargonium-%C3%97-hortorum/details)
- [ASPCA: Geranium (Pelargonium species)](https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/geranium)
- [Emirates 24|7: Flowers Dubai plants in a year (Dubai Municipality's seasonal flower list, 2016)](https://www.emirates247.com/lifestyle/flowers-dubai-plants-in-a-year-2016-05-13-1.629918)
- [Al Bayan: Dubai Municipality's flower varieties and its three planting rotations (Arabic, 18 March 2020)](https://www.albayan.ae/across-the-uae/news-and-reports/2020-03-18-1.3806546)
- [Gulf News: The flowers of the season (geraniums among Dubai's winter flowers, 2004)](https://gulfnews.com/uae/the-flowers-of-the-season-1.315624)
- [Wikipedia: Climate of Dubai (1991–2020 normals, Dubai International Airport)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Dubai)
- [Plantsworld: Geranium - Pelargonium - Outdoor Flowering Plant (UAE shop listing title, checked 29 October 2026)](https://plantsworld.ae/products/geranium-plant-pelargonium-outdoor-flowering-plant)
- [Kew WCVP, the checklist behind POWO (read via GBIF): Pelargonium ×hortorum, a synonym of Pelargonium ×hybridum](https://www.gbif.org/species/207143539)
- [Kew WCVP (via GBIF): Pelargonium ×hybridum (L.) L'Hér., the accepted name](https://www.gbif.org/species/207143511)
- [Wikipedia: Pelargonium × hortorum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelargonium_%C3%97_hortorum)
- [Wikipedia: Pelargonium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelargonium)
- [Arabic Wikipedia: لقلقي](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%84%D9%82%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A)
- [Persian Wikipedia: گل شمعدانی](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DA%AF%D9%84_%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C)