Scented geranium

Identity

Also called: rose geranium, pelargonium

What it is

Rose-scented pelargoniums (not hardy cranesbill Geranium) are leaf-aroma plants. A leaf can scent a cake tin or sugar jar. Not a salad green.

From the existing encyclopedia

Home cooks and herbal tea drinkers know Geranium for its signature scent and the way it layers with citrus, honey, or allium. Introduce new ingredients gradually in cooking portions to learn flavor strength before scaling recipes. Pairs well with garlic, onion, and black pepper in savory dishes. When substituting dried Geranium for fresh, use about one-third the volume and bloom in fat or hot water before adding acid or dairy.

Edible portions

• leaves as aroma, not bulk vegetable

Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.

Growing

• Climate. 9–11; indoor winter elsewhere
• Light. Full sun
• Soil. Well-drained, not soggy
• Planting. Cuttings root easily. Frost-tender.

Preparation and culinary uses

• Line a cake pan with a leaf
• Infuse sugar or syrup, then remove the leaf

Related knowledge

• Related to Plant directory

Next steps

Sources

• USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
• No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
• State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
• Integrated from the existing aaaLifetime / quantum-biohack encyclopedia corpus (unique text preserved where it was not boilerplate).

Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.