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Black Pelargonium
Pelargonium sidoides
SA tree number
English: Black Pelargonium
Afrikaans: Kalwerbossie, Rabassam
Xhosa: ikubalo, iyeza lesikhali
Zulu: umckaloabo
S. Sotho: khoara-e-nyenyane
Historical botanical names: Pelargonium sidaefolium
Pelargonium sidoides, often called Black Pelargonium or Kalwerbossie, is a really interesting perennial plant that grows in a rosette (like a circular arrangement of leaves close to the ground). It's quite special because its flowers are a deep, dark reddish-purple, almost black, which is pretty unusual!
This plant is also super tough, thanks to its clever underground root system that helps it survive droughts and even fires, and it's well-known for its important medicinal uses.
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Distinguishing features:
Forms a rosette-like plant with crowded leaves.
Leaves are long-stalked, heart-shaped, and velvety, with a mild aroma.
Flowers are distinctive dark, reddish-purple (almost black).
Has a system of thickened underground root-like branches (lignotuber).
Often found in short grassland.
Overall appearance:
Pelargonium sidoides is a perennial plant that grows in a rosette shape, with its leaves clustered near the base. It is easily recognised by its unique dark, almost black, flowers and its velvety, heart-shaped leaves. It's an evergreen in cultivation, but in nature, it might die back during dry or cold seasons to resprout from its roots.
Height:
Typically grows to 20-40 cm high.
Width:
Can spread 30-50 cm wide.
Leaves:
The leaves are alternate, simple, and heart-shaped to kidney-shaped, 2-5 cm long and 2-4 cm wide.
They are greyish-green in colour and have a velvety texture due to the presence of fine hairs.
The leaf margins are deeply lobed and toothed.
Flowers:
The flowers are small, 1-2 cm across, and borne in umbels (umbrella-like clusters) on slender stalks that rise above the leaves.
They are usually dark reddish-purple to almost black, sometimes with lighter markings.
Each flower has five petals.
Flowering season:
Primarily spring and summer (typically September to February in South Africa), but can flower sporadically throughout the year.
Fruits:
The fruit is a capsule that splits open to release the seeds.
Seeds:
The seeds are small and hairy.
Roots:
System of thickened underground root-like branches, also known as lignotubers.
These enable the plant to survive grass fires and go dormant during dry, cold seasons.
Tubers are harvested for medicinal extracts.
Soil type:
Prefers well-drained soil, such as sandy or loam soils.
Aspect:
Prefers full sun to partial shade.
Uses:
Medicinal: This species has well-recorded medicinal properties and is used by the pharmaceutical industry for treating bronchitis. It is also utilised for a variety of traditional folk-medicinal purposes, including treating sore throats, coughs, upper respiratory tract irritations, and congestion. The roots (tubers) are mainly harvested for these medicinal extracts. It is an active ingredient in the commonly used effervescent tablet Linctagon-C, for colds and flu.
Horticultural: Can be planted in rockeries in full sun or grown as an excellent pot plant.
Ecology:
Survival strategy: In its natural habitat, it survives winter dry, cold seasons by going dormant and shooting again from its roots when rains return. Its thickened underground roots allow it to recover after frequent grass fires.
Habitat: Usually grows in short grassland and sometimes with occasional shrubs and trees.
Harvesting impact: While extensively harvested for medicinal purposes, field studies show that plants can regrow rapidly after harvesting, usually within two weeks to one year, because segments of the lignotuber often break off and remain buried. However, the regrowth of the commercially valuable lignotuber is slow, which limits how often it can be re-harvested. Overgrazing can also lead to bush encroachment, making the habitat unsuitable for P. sidoides.
Distribution and habitat:
Wide distribution throughout the eastern Cape, Lesotho, Free State, and southern and south-western Gauteng in the Republic of South Africa.
Also found in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and North West provinces. Its range extends from Uniondale in the Western Cape eastwards.
Found at altitudes ranging from near sea level to 2300 m in Lesotho.
Occurs in areas that receive summer rainfall (November to March), varying from 200 - 800 mm per annum.
Grows in short grassland, sometimes with occasional shrubs and trees, often in stony soils. Also found in Albany Thicket, Fynbos, Nama Karoo, and Succulent Karoo.
Derivation of name:
The genus name Pelargonium comes from the Greek word 'pelargos', meaning 'stork', because the fruit resembles a stork's beak.
The species name sidoides is derived from the genus Sida, possibly referring to a resemblance to plants in that genus.
Historical aspects:
For hundreds of years, the Zulu, Basuto, Xhosa, and Mfengu cultures have used Pelargonium sidoides as a cure for coughs, upper respiratory tract irritations, and gastrointestinal concerns. It is an important medicinal plant that is exported internationally for the herbal medicine trade.
Interesting facts:
This plant is like nature's medicine cabinet! For centuries, traditional healers have used it to treat everything from coughs to tummy troubles, and now it's even used in modern medicines for bronchitis.
Forget your average red or pink geraniums – Pelargonium sidoides stands out with its super cool, almost black flowers! It's like the goth cousin of the Pelargonium family.
Even though it's an evergreen when grown in a pot, in the wild, it's a bit of a chameleon, sometimes "dying back" (going dormant) in winter or during droughts, only to magically reappear from its roots when the good times (and rains) return!
This plant is so tough that it can survive grass fires! Its special underground roots are like a secret superpower, helping it regrow even after the veld has been burnt.
Growing tips:
Planting location: Plant Pelargonium sidoides in rockeries in full sun for the best results. It also makes an excellent pot plant.
Soil and watering: It prefers well-drained stony soil, which can be sandy, clay, or loam. It needs less water during winter and more at the beginning of summer (November to March).
Feeding: Top dress with a slow-release fertiliser in spring to boost growth and flowering in summer.
Maintenance: In winter, remove any dead leaves and old flower stalks to keep the plant looking tidy.
Propagation: This plant is easily grown from seed or by basal cuttings.Cuttings: Take basal cuttings in autumn (March to May). Dip the base of the cutting in rooting hormone and place in coarse river sand that has been pre-watered with a fungicide. Place containers with cuttings in cold frames to root. They root well. If keeping plants in glasshouses, use yellow sticky traps to combat whitefly.
Seeds: Sow seeds in spring when the difference between day and night temperatures is about 12°C.
This plant is a fantastic alternative for:
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