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Pelargonium graveolens
Caution🐾Duftpelargonie · (Pelargonium graveolens)
Cranesbill family (Geraniaceae)
Description
Pelargonium graveolens is a Pelargonium species native to the Cape Provinces and the Northern Provinces of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Common names include rose geranium, sweet scented geranium, old-fashioned rose geranium, and rose-scent geranium.
Traditional infusion of fresh or dried rose geranium leaves for nervous restlessness, mild stress and nervously triggered digestive complaints. In Morocco, rose geranium is also classically added to green tea with spearmint as a flavouring herb. Gently calming, with a fine rose-citronellol aroma.
Preparation & dosage
Pour 200 ml boiling water over 1-2 g (about 2-3 fresh or 1 tsp dried) chopped rose geranium leaves, cover and infuse 8 minutes, then strain. Drink 1-2 cups daily, preferably in the afternoon or evening. Fresh leaves give a finer rose aroma than dried herb.
- Dry amount
- 1–2 g
- Doses per day
- 2×
- Max duration
- 4 weeks
Aromatherapy use of rose geranium essential oil (geranium Bourbon oil) for relaxation, stress, irritability and nervous tension. The high citronellol-geraniol profile is considered psychologically balancing; Bourbon quality is regarded in aromatherapy as a 'women's oil' for premenstrual unrest.
Preparation & dosage
Diffuser: 3-5 drops of rose geranium essential oil in 100 ml water, vaporise for 20-30 minutes. Massage oil: 5-10 drops in 50 ml carrier oil (almond, jojoba) — corresponds to 0.5-1 %. NEVER apply undiluted. Patch test 24 h before first use.
- Doses per day
- 2×
- Max duration
- 4 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 6 years — In children under 6 years, avoid intensive diffuser use in the bedroom due to the citronellol/geraniol content. Avoid entirely in infants and toddlers.
Folk-medicinal use in South Africa: infusion or decoction of the leaves as a compress for small wounds, skin irritations, abscesses and haemorrhoids. Astringent and antimicrobial action — wound dressing belongs to the traditional healing practice of Zulu, Sotho, Xhosa and Mfengu healers.
Preparation & dosage
Steep 10-20 g fresh chopped leaves in 250 ml hot water for 15 minutes, strain and cool. Soak a clean cloth, wring lightly and apply to the affected area for 10-15 minutes. 1-2 times daily.
- Dry amount
- 10–20 g
- Doses per day
- 2×
Skin care: rose geranium oil is regarded in aromatherapy as balancing for both dry and oily skin and is popular in homemade facial oils. Studies of the PG Bourbon profile show antimicrobial and antioxidant activity against various skin microbes (S. aureus, S. enterica).
Preparation & dosage
Facial oil: 1-3 drops of rose geranium essential oil in 30 ml jojoba or almond oil (about 0.2-0.5 %). Apply thinly in the evening after cleansing. Halve concentration on sensitive skin. Not for acute skin rashes.
- Doses per day
- 1×
- Max duration
- 8 weeks
Insect repellent: fresh leaves of rose geranium and diluted essential oil repel mosquitoes and small biting insects — the citronellol-geraniol fraction shares this repellent activity with classical citronella oil. The 'Citrosa' cultivars are sold commercially as 'mosquito geranium'.
Preparation & dosage
Crush fresh leaves and dab on exposed skin (not on irritated skin). Alternative roll-on: 10-20 drops geranium essential oil + 5 drops lavender oil in 50 ml fractionated coconut oil. Patch test before first use. Do not apply to children under 2 years.
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 4 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 2 years — No skin contact with essential oils in children under 2 years.
Culinary herb: the rose-scented leaves flavour jellies, jams (especially quince and apple jelly — EU Directive 2001/113/EC permits pelargonium leaves as a flavouring), syrups, confectionery, sorbets and aromatised sugar. In Cyprus they are added to apricot preserves.
Preparation & dosage
Folk-medicinal relaxation bath for nervous tension, exhaustion and irritated skin. The essential oils act via skin and inhaled air; warm water releases muscle tension. A classical 'women's bath' in the South African folk tradition.
Preparation & dosage
Pour 1.5 L hot water over 50-100 g dried or a large handful of fresh rose geranium leaves, infuse for 20 minutes, strain and add to a full bath (35-38 °C, 15-20 minutes). Avoid concentrated use on sensitive skin.
- Dry amount
- 50–100 g
- Doses per day
- 1×
NEVER apply rose geranium essential oil undiluted to the skin — citronellol and geraniol are listed allergens that can cause contact dermatitis (in the EU Cosmetics Regulation as declarable fragrance allergens). Maximum concentration 1-3 % in carrier oil. Patch test 24 h before first use. Avoid in known Geraniaceae or citronella allergy. Skin contact combined with sunlight may rarely be phototoxic. Internally only as diluted tea — NEVER drink or take pure essential oil by the spoon. ASPCA classification (accessed 2026-08-10): toxic to dogs and cats. The ASPCA classifies the whole genus this way.
⏱ Max continuous use: 4 weeks
Culinary amounts (e.g. leaves in jam) are considered safe. Use therapeutic tea amounts and aromatherapy/skin essential-oil applications very cautiously in pregnancy due to insufficient safety data; avoid internal use of essential oil.
Culinary amounts are safe. Use therapeutic amounts and essential oil cautiously due to insufficient data; do not apply essential oil to chest or nipples while breastfeeding.
Do NOT use rose geranium essential oil on the skin of infants and children under 2 years (no bedroom diffuser, no massage oils). In children 2-6 years only highly diluted (max. 0.5 %) and not on the face. Tea is safe in moderate amounts from school age.
Drug interactions
Antidiabetika (Insulin, Sulfonylharnstoffe, Metformin)
In vitro and animal studies show mild blood-glucose-lowering effects of pelargonium extracts. Monitor blood-glucose values closely when used alongside oral antidiabetics or insulin.
CYP2B6-/CYP3A4-Substrate
Citronellol and geraniol can modulate cytochrome P450 enzymes (especially CYP2B6) at higher concentrations. Theoretical interactions with bupropion, efavirenz, ketamine and other CYP2B6 substrates are conceivable — clinically barely relevant for topical aromatherapy, caution with oral oil capsules.
Sedativa / ZNS-Dämpfer
Rose geranium oil used in aromatherapy has a mild calming effect; combined with sleep medications, benzodiazepines or alcohol, the dampening effect may add up.
Contraindications
- Known hypersensitivity to rose geranium, citronellol/geraniol or other Geraniaceae.
- Infants and children under 2 years — no skin contact with essential oil.
- Acute weeping skin inflammation or irritated mucous membranes — postpone use until healed.
- Cats and small dogs in the household: geranium essential oil is toxic to pets (per ASPCA). Use a diffuser only in rooms the animal can leave; no direct application on the pet.
Harvested part: leaves
- Time of day:
- Early morning in dry weather once the dew has dried and before midday heat — essential-oil content is then highest. Moroccan research studies classically harvest in the early-morning window.
- Drying:
- Spread leaves and leafy shoots in a thin layer on cloths or mesh racks in a warm, airy, shaded room (max 35 °C). Avoid direct sunlight — the typical rose scent is otherwise lost. After drying, store airtight in dark glass jars.
- Storage:
- 9 months — Store in dark, tightly closed glass or tin containers, cool and dry. Essential oil evaporates quickly — use within 9 months.
- Time of day:
- At full flowering (June to August in Central Europe) on sunny, dry weather in the early morning — essential-oil content reaches its maximum at full flowering (Al-Mijalli 2022 study on three phenological stages).
- Drying:
- Hang leafy flowering shoots in small bundles upside down in the shade, or process immediately by steam distillation. For home distilling, prefer fresh shoots — higher yield.
- Storage:
- 12 months — Store distilled essential oil in dark 5-10 ml dropper bottles, protected from light and cool (refrigerator) — stable up to 12 months.
- Ätherisches Öl (Geranium-Bourbon-Öl)Essential oilContent: 0.15-0.33 %Leaf
Steam distillate from fresh leaves and shoots. Main chemotype depending on origin: Bourbon type (Réunion, southern Africa) — citronellol- and geraniol-rich; Egyptian type — lower citronellol/geraniol ratio. Characteristic rose-mint scent.
- Citronellol (β-Citronellol)Essential oilContent: 20-40 %Leaf
Main component of Bourbon oil. Responsible for the rose-citrus character, antimicrobial activity and mosquito-repellent effect. Listed in the EU Cosmetics Regulation as a declarable fragrance allergen.
- GeraniolEssential oilContent: 8-25 %Leaf
Second leading substance of Bourbon oil. Sweet rosy scent, antioxidant, antimicrobial and mildly anti-inflammatory; also an EU-declarable allergen.
- CitronellylformiatEssential oilContent: 5-12 %Leaf
Ester accompanying compound — gives the oil its fruity-floral top note. Contributes to the relaxing, mildly sedating aromatherapy effect.
- LinaloolEssential oilContent: 3-10 %Leaf
Monoterpene alcohol with calming, mildly anxiolytic effect — acts synergistically with citronellol. Also an EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
- IsomenthonEssential oilContent: 2-8 %Leaf
Monoterpene ketone; contributes to the mildly minty note. High amounts typical of the Egyptian and Kelkar cultivars — Bourbon oil contains less.
- Flavonoide (Quercetin, Kämpferol, Myricetin)FlavonoidContent: Spuren-1 %Leaf
Polyphenolic accompanying compounds, primarily extracted in aqueous tea preparations — antioxidant and mildly anti-inflammatory; relevant for internal tea use.
- Gerbstoffe (kondensierte Gerbstoffe)TanninContent: 2-5 %Leaf
Astringent polyphenols responsible for the early-20th-century use against diarrhoea and ulcerative stomach complaints, and for the skin-toning effect of pelargonium compresses.
- [3]MonographPlants For A Future — Pelargonium graveolens(accessed: 2026-05-26)
- [4]MonographHerbal Reality — Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) monograph(accessed: 2026-05-26)
- [5]MonographKačániová M. et al. (2023) — An In-Depth Study on the Chemical Composition and Biological Effects of Pelargonium graveolens Essential Oil. Foods 13(1), 33.(accessed: 2026-05-26)
- [6]MonographASPCA Animal Poison Control — Geranium (Pelargonium species)(accessed: 2026-08-10)
- [1]WikipediaPelargonium graveolens (Wikipedia EN)(accessed: 2026-05-26)
- [2]WikipediaDuftpelargonien (Wikipedia DE)(accessed: 2026-05-26)
Distribution in Europe
🪴 Grow at home
- ☀ Light
- full sun
- 💧 Water
- every few days
- 🌱 Soil
- Geranium compost with drainage
- 🪴 Pot
- 20 cm
- ⭐ Difficulty
- ★☆☆ beginner
- 🐾 Pets
- toxic to pets
Tips:
- Scent when touched — mosquitoes avoid the smell.
- Winter: bright and cool (5-12 °C).
- Fresh leaves for tea or essential oil.
Care tips are general indoor-gardening recommendations, not scientific sources.