Zonal geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum) — Plotwright

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Zonal geranium

Habit (mature) · Andrew Butko / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Zonal geranium

Pelargonium x hortorum

The classic bedding "geranium" — a tender hybrid of South African Pelargonium parentage grown for rounded umbels of red, pink, orange, purple, or white flowers that bloom freely all season. Its rounded, kidney-shaped leaves often carry a dark circular band, the "zone" that gives the plant its name. Hardy only in USDA zones 10-11, it is grown as an annual or overwintered indoors across most of North America.

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: narrow (23/100)

Container

Border

Focal point

Light

Full sun / Part shade

Water

Moderate water

Mature size

12-36" tall · 12" apart

Hardy in zones

10a-11b

mild to nearly frost-free winters

Summer heat range

Warm-Extreme

warm to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

No

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists Pelargonium x hortorum as a herbaceous perennial of garden origin for USDA zones 10 to 11, 1.00 to 3.00 feet tall and wide, in full sun to part shade with medium water; it is commonly grown as an annual in colder regions.

Climate notes

Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Won't grow here

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Won't grow here

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✕

Out of range today and still out of range in 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 17 ecoregions — 11 climate-resilient through 2070 · 6 newly possible by 2070. Best matches first.

Atlantic coastal pine barrens

California coastal sage and chaparral

Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

Chihuahuan desert

Chilean Matorral

Eastern Australian temperate forests

Fynbos shrubland

New Zealand North Island temperate forests

Northern Pacific Alaskan coastal forests

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Zonal geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/zonal-geranium

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Botanical research database

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Backs 1 field

Image

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Community photos

The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.

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