(Pelargonium peltatum) Cascading geranium

Distribution, habitat and ecology
The ivy-leaved pelargonium or cascading geranium natural distribution consists of parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. The species has escaped cultivation in climates somewhat comparable to South Africa including in California, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Spain and the Canary Islands, Portugal and the Azores Islands, France, Italy and Greece. It may behave rather weedy.

In the wild, it clambers over shrubs on dry rocky hillsides or along the coast on well-drained soils.

The caterpillars of the Common Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli), of Dickson's Geranium Bronze (C. dicksoni), and of the Water Bronze (C. tespis) eat the stems of pelargonium species. Carpenter bees may be important pollinators as these frequent the flowers.

Conservation
The ivy-leaved pelargonium is considered a species of least concern because of its large distribution and stable population.

Cultivation
In the year 1700, Willem Adriaan van der Stel, Governor of the Cape Colony, introduced the ivy-leaved pelargonium to the Netherlands. Sir Francis Masson shipped the species to Great Britain in 1774. P. peltatum has been used to develop many garden hybrids that are called "ivy-leaved pelargoniums". The species and its hybrids can be very easily propagated through taking cuttings. It grows best on well drained substrates such as sandy or loamy soils, is not sensitive to soil acidity and is drought resistant, but it neither tolerates shading nor frost. The ivy-leaved pelargonium is cultivated on a large-scale for landscaping and as an ornamental plant for use in gardens and containers, as well as being used as a houseplant.

Uses
The leaves of the ivy-leaved pelargonium can be eaten as a vegetable and have a tangy taste. A bluish textile dye can be made from the petals.
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