Pelargonium Paton's Unique

The Pelargonium Paton's Unique is a variety of geranium with a unique scent, known for its foliage that releases a beautiful spicy fragrance with the slightest touch, as well as its spectacular flowering, with large clusters of small flowers in a vibrant neon pink lacquered with light red. This large flowering bush blooms from June to September and offers an exceptional sight in mild climates. It remains interesting even in frost-free winters due to its evergreen foliage. Pelargoniums are bred from plants that thrive in difficult climates and soils, but are somewhat sensitive to cold. They are naturally resistant to summer drought, but need to be brought indoors in a cold greenhouse in regions with cold winters.

The fragrant Pelargonium 'Paton's Unique' is an old horticultural hybrid introduced in the 1890s. It is probably the result of cross-breeding different botanical species, which have given it its fragrant foliage and almost shrub-like habit, along with florist geraniums, responsible for its beautiful and long-lasting flowering. All geraniums are plants native to South Africa, particularly well adapted to hot and dry climates, accommodating in terms of soil, but sensitive to frost. 'Paton's Unique' is a magnificent cultivar, both aromatic and floriferous from June to September. The plant has a rounded bushy habit, almost as wide as it is tall, with branched stems that lignify over time. This variety will reach a height of 1m (3ft) in one season (in fertile and moist soil) with a spread of 80cm (32in). Its dark green foliage is composed of stiff leaves, divided into 5 large lobes, with more or less triangular toothed edges. They are loaded with essential oils responsible for their pungent fragrance. When exposed to cold, these leaves can turn red or orange. The flowering takes place from June-July to September, in the form of small umbels carrying 4 to 9 pink flowers, lighter in the centre, with each petal marked with a coral pink-red spot. The upper 2 petals are veined with violet or burgundy. 

With a simple touch, the Pelargonium 'Paton's Unique' releases a powerful fragrance and at the slightest glance it encourages passers-by to touch its foliage and lean in to admire its delightful flowers. So, plant it in a pot or in the ground, in a place where you can touch it, along a pathway or in a pot on the terrace or veranda. Fragrant geraniums are precious for perfuming a room, where they delight us with their sometimes unexpected and wonderful scents. We were stopped in our tracks, one day after rain, in front of a bed of fragrant geraniums and immersed ourselves in a small symphony of delicate perfumes. In mild climates, this is a plant that is quite resistant to summer drought and requires very little maintenance, making it valuable for dry gardens where it blends well with different plants from the scrubland. Beware, the "pelargomania" virus is contagious, especially when you are lucky enough to live in a region with mild winters: when planted in the ground, a small potted plant becomes a true bush, sometimes exceeding 1m (3ft) in all directions! Solid, robust, almost indestructible, fragrant geraniums repel insects and are capable of regrowing from the stump after experiencing temperatures as low as -5°C (23°F)!

Try adding the fragrance of the fragrant pelargonium flower to a recipe, it works! The edible leaves are used in fruit salads and potpourri.