Pelargonium x domesticum 'Elsie Hickman'
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Pelargonium x domesticum 'Elsie Hickman'• Click here to visit our Main Plant List page for current availability of this plant
• common names: Martha Washington geranium, regal geranium
• flowering season: summer through to fall
• height: 12 to 18 inches, and even a bit taller for older plants
• Light requirements: morning sun only or filtered light; does not like as much hot afternoon sun as other geraniums like
• Soil requirements: average garden soil or potting soil that drains freely
• Water requirments: water thoroughly and then let it dry out considerably before watering again
• Growth habit: branching and bushy
• How to propagate: cuttings root well when started with a heat mat and a grow light
• Leaf type: 2 to 3-inch medium green leaves
• Ways to use it: planted outdoors for the summer or in a large terra cotta pot
• Special characteristics: during the winter the ideal temperature is the mid to low-forties, such as by a window in a basement or garage; it can be cut back drastically the second year if it grows too large, but be sure not to cut off all of the leaves in the process of pruning the branches
• Other points of interest: it really is not a temperamental plant to grow except in the Deep South where summer humidity and temperatures are high -- when grown where summers are cooler it is very undemanding and easy
As the stems grow longer on this plant, they cannot hold themselves upright very well, and tend to splay out and cascade. This is not bad trait when several are planted together as a hanging basket, where the prostrate stems will droop over the container's edges. Each flower has a large white throat. The lower petals are a mid pink, and the upper petals are mostly a rich, very dark red. All three colors stand out well. The petals are large and rounded. The overall effect is very pleasing. Cannot withstand freezing temperatures.