Can You Eat Geraniums? Edible Types and Safety Tips

Geraniums are edible, and a few of them are genuinely good to eat. The catch is that the word “geranium” covers two different groups of plants, and they taste nothing alike. Whether a leaf turns out to be a treat or a bitter mouthful depends on which one is in your pot.

Pelargoniums vs True Geraniums

Many of the bedding plants sold as “geraniums” are actually Pelargonium, a genus native to South Africa.1Annie’s Annuals & Perennials. Geranium or Pelargonium? Identify the Key Differences A true geranium belongs to the genus Geranium and is commonly called cranesbill, because its seedpods look like a crane’s beak.2Harmony in the Garden. Geraniums and Pelargoniums in My Garden

The growth habit differs too. True geraniums are hardy perennials, with many surviving down to USDA zone 5.3Harmony in the Garden. Geraniums and Pelargoniums in My Garden Pelargoniums are tender and are usually grown as annuals where frosts last,4Harmony in the Garden. Geraniums and Pelargoniums in My Garden though they are evergreen perennials in their warm home regions.5Wikipedia. Pelargonium

Start with the plant tag, which should give the Latin name, Pelargonium or Geranium. A plant that dies back in winter and returns in spring is likely a true geranium. One you carry indoors for winter is likely a pelargonium. Scented-leaf types give themselves away when you rub a leaf and it smells strongly of rose, lemon or mint. Look at one open flower. Pelargonium flowers are symmetrical along only one line: the two upper petals are usually larger or marked differently from the three lower ones, so the bloom looks slightly lopsided or top-heavy.6Wikipedia. Pelargonium A true geranium flower is evenly round, like a flat saucer, with five near-identical petals, often finely veined, sitting loosely on thin stems.7Wikipedia. Pelargonium Many pelargoniums carry dense rounded clusters on thick stems, the classic windowbox look. That’s a quick clue but not a perfect one, since some scented types have small, loose flowers.

Stems help a little. Pelargonium stems are thick and fleshy, turning woody at the base with age, while hardy geraniums have thinner, softer stems that die back to the ground. Leaf shape varies so much in both groups that it’s a weak clue on its own. The flower, the tag and the plant’s winter behaviour together are far more reliable.

Zonal geraniums, with ringed leaves and big balls of flowers, are pelargoniums, and so are scented geraniums. If you got a plant as an unlabelled gift or cutting, compare a photo of its flower with a reliable plant database. If you can’t identify it for sure, don’t eat it.

Scented Pelargoniums Are the Best Ones to Eat

The leaves and flowers of pelargoniums are edible and flavour desserts, cakes, jellies and teas.8Wikipedia. Pelargonium The best flavours for cooking are rose, lemon and mint, or blends of them.9L&L. How to cook with scented geraniums Varieties to look for:

The common red windowbox type is a different story. Zonal pelargoniums are edible, but they have little pleasant flavour, and their value in the kitchen is mostly the colour of their petals. If you want flavour, buy a named scented variety.

Leaves carry most of the scent, so they’re what you use to infuse. Flowers are milder and work as garnish. The leaves are tough, so they’re usually strained out rather than eaten whole.

Match the plant to the dish. Rose-scented leaves suit sweet, delicate things such as cakes, shortbread, panna cotta and fruit compotes, where a floral note feels natural. Lemon types like P. crispum work well in tea, light syrups and anything you’d otherwise flavour with lemon balm or lemon peel. Mint types fit drinks and fruit dishes. A good way to start is a blend: a leaf of rose with a leaf of lemon in one infusion gives a rounder flavour than either alone.

Before you commit to a plant, rub a leaf gently and smell it. One worth cooking with gives a clear, pleasant scent straight away, not a faint green or musty one. Scent strength varies between cultivars and even between plants of the same name, so smell before buying instead of trusting the variety name alone. Then taste a tiny piece of leaf, since a strong smell doesn’t always mean a pleasant flavour.

How to Cook With Scented Geraniums

Drinks are the easiest place to begin. A sprig of lemon-scented P. crispum in hot tea gives it a rich lemony aroma,15Kevin Lee Jacobs. Three Incredible, Edible Scented Geraniums – Kevin Lee Jacobs and it will scent a pitcher of iced tea too.16Kevin Lee Jacobs. Three Incredible, Edible Scented Geraniums – Kevin Lee Jacobs Jellies and cakes are classic uses too.17Wikipedia. Pelargonium18Kevin Lee Jacobs. Three Incredible, Edible Scented Geraniums – Kevin Lee Jacobs

For scented sugar, wash the leaves and dry them thoroughly, patting them with a towel, because any moisture in the jar can make the sugar clump or spoil. Layer the leaves with caster sugar in a clean jar, close it, and leave it for about a week so the oils transfer. Lift the leaves out before using the sugar in baking or whipped cream, or to rim a glass.

For a syrup, dissolve sugar in water over gentle heat, add a few washed leaves, and simmer briefly so the flavour comes through without turning grassy. Strain the leaves out and cool the syrup. Stir it into lemonade or sparkling water, drizzle it over fruit salad, or use it as the base of a sorbet. Keep it in a clean bottle in the fridge and use it within a short time.

In baking, lay leaves in the bottom of a cake tin before adding the batter, then peel them off once it’s baked. For custards and ice cream, warm cream or milk with leaves and strain it. You can also steep leaves in jam or apple jelly as it cooks.

Start with just a few leaves, because the flavour can turn soapy if you overdo it. Taste the infusion as it goes and take the leaves out early if it’s getting strong. Sprinkle fresh petals on just before serving so they don’t wilt.

Are True Geraniums Edible

Wild geraniums such as Geranium maculatum are edible raw or cooked, but very bitter.19Eat The Weeds and other things, too. Geranium maculatum Archives – Eat The Weeds and other things, too They’re high in bitter, mouth-drying compounds,20Eat The Weeds and other things, too. Geranium maculatum Archives – Eat The Weeds and other things, too so fresh leaves are usually unsuitable for salads.21Plants For A Future. Richardson’s Geranium Boiling makes them milder, something like green beans, and changing the water cuts the bitterness further.22Plants For A Future. Richardson’s Geranium The flowers are much milder and work as garnish.23Plants For A Future. Richardson’s Geranium Scatter a few fresh flowers over a salad or dessert for colour; they add looks more than flavour.

If you do try the leaves, pick young, tender ones, since older leaves are tougher and more bitter. Boil them in plenty of water, drain, and boil again in fresh water if the first batch is still too bitter. Treat them as a seasoning or small side, mixed with milder greens or stirred into soups, not as a main vegetable. Be sure the plant is a confirmed true geranium and hasn’t been treated with pesticides.

Those bitter compounds limit their value as regular food.24Plants For A Future. Richardson’s Geranium It also explains the traditional uses for sore throats and diarrhoea.25Eat The Weeds and other things, too. Geranium maculatum Archives – Eat The Weeds and other things, too Traditional root teas are strong astringent remedies, best treated as medicine, not food. Large amounts can upset the stomach, so check with a doctor before using them for symptoms.

Safety Tips Before You Eat Any Geranium

Ornamental pot plants can carry pesticide residues into homes and gardens.26PubMed Central. Ornamental plants as vectors of pesticide exposure and potential threat to biodiversity and human health So don’t eat plants bought as ornamentals unless they’re labelled for food.

On a label, look for wording such as “edible,” “for culinary use” or “grown for herbs.” A standard ornamental label usually says nothing about what was sprayed on it. A plant from a garden centre bed or display may have been treated with chemicals meant for ornamentals, which aren’t tested for food use. Washing helps with surface dirt but may not remove residues the plant has taken up, so washing alone doesn’t make an ornamental food-safe.

Growing your own is the safer route. Buy a plant from an herb seller who can say how it was grown, or root cuttings from a plant you know is untreated. If you do buy an ornamental, repot it in fresh, untreated compost and wait for several weeks of new growth before harvesting, so you eat only leaves grown after purchase. Never spray with garden pesticides; if you need pest control, use only products labelled safe for edible plants. Avoid plants near busy roads, where dust and exhaust settle on leaves.

Flowers carry germs and keep poorly. Edible flowers tested carried heavy loads of bacteria, yeasts and moulds,27PubMed Central. Microbiological Safety of Ornamental Edible Flowers and 5 days in the fridge made those levels rise sharply.28PubMed Central. Microbiological Safety of Ornamental Edible Flowers Pick on a dry day, shake off any insects, rinse under cool water and pat dry on a towel. Choose fresh, undamaged blooms and skip any that look wilted or slimy.

The main scent compound has low toxicity when swallowed.29Australian Government Department of Health / NICNAS. Geraniol and related compounds: Human health tier II assessment Even so, geranium oil can cause allergic skin rashes, and gardeners have reacted while deadheading.30DermNet. Geranium If handling the leaves makes your skin itchy, skip eating them.

Try a small amount first to see how you react. Pregnant people and anyone with plant allergies should be cautious. Stop if you get a rash, mouth tingling or stomach upset.

Geraniums and Pets

Geraniums contain oils that can upset a cat’s stomach or irritate skin.31Pet Poison Helpline. Geranium Is Toxic To Cats Signs include vomiting, diarrhoea, tiredness, poor appetite and skin irritation,32Pet Poison Helpline. Geranium Is Toxic To Cats but symptoms are usually mild and temporary.33Pet Poison Helpline. Geranium Is Toxic To Cats

If your pet chews one, gently remove any plant pieces from its mouth and offer fresh water to rinse it out. Note roughly how much was eaten and which part, which helps if you need to call a vet. Don’t try to make your pet vomit unless a vet specifically tells you to.

Mild stomach upset often settles by itself, but repeated vomiting or a very sleepy pet needs a vet’s attention, and a pet poison line can advise too. Check the skin around the mouth and paws as well, since the oils can irritate on contact. Keep potted plants out of reach of chewing cats.

Geranium Oil and Medicinal Pelargoniums Are Different

Allergic reactions are most common with geranium oil itself.34DermNet. Geranium Essential oil is a concentrated extract of the plant’s scent compounds, so one drop holds far more than a leaf would give you. Tolerating the leaves doesn’t mean you’ll tolerate the oil.

If you want to use the oil, don’t put it in food or drinks unless the bottle says it is food-grade and gives usage guidance. Dilute it in a carrier oil before it touches your skin, and test a small patch first for a rash. Store oils tightly closed and away from pets and children.

The medicinal species Pelargonium sidoides has no food history and needs approval as a novel food in the EU.35Gruppo FarmaImpresa. The case of Pelargonium sidoides DC: data collection – Gruppo FarmaImpresa It’s sold as a herbal remedy, often for colds and coughs, and is treated as a medicine, not a kitchen herb. Follow the product’s instructions, and check with a pharmacist or doctor if you take other medicines or have a health condition. Don’t pick or brew your own from garden plants, because the species and strength differ from the tested products.