Species · genus Pelargonium · Geraniaceae

Peppermint-Scented Geranium

Pelargonium tomentosum Jacq.

Also known as: Herb-scent Geranium · Pennyroyal Pelargonium · Peppermint Geranium · Peppermint-scent Geranium · Peppermint-scent Pelargonium

Growth habit

subshrub

Native range

Cape Provinces

Reference · P. tomentosum

Cultivars of P. tomentosum

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under P. tomentosum yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A soft-leaved, peppermint-scented subshrub from the Cape Provinces of South Africa, where it grows in well-drained ground through dry summers. Its felted leaves and stems hold some moisture, so let the top inch or two of mix dry before watering again, and use a gritty, fast-draining soil to avoid rot. It takes bright light and tolerates some gentle direct sun, but spares the intensity of full midday exposure.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

10–24 °C

Soil mix

Free-draining sandy potting mix with added grit

Propagation

Softwood stem cuttings rooted in gritty mix

Fertilizing

Dilute balanced feed monthly in spring and summer

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Small mauve blooms occasionally indoors; grown mainly for velvety scented leaves

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Geranium — geraniol + linalool; vomiting, anorexia, depression, dermatitis. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

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Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Peppermint-Scented Geranium yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.