Rose geranium

Pelargonium graveolens

Geraniaceae

A rose-scented leaf for sugar, cake, and a finger bowl — the windowsill pelargonium, not the hardy cranesbill.

Scented Pelargonium, not hardy Geranium (cranesbill) and not wild geranium tea from a different plant. A pot plant in zone 6b.

Parts used: Leaf · Flower
Traditional notes: Scented sugar · Cake lining · Syrup · Finger-bowl leaf
Grow · USDA 6b: Tender perennial. Pot indoors below 40°F. Cuttings in late summer for the winter windowsill. In work: May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep
Harvest: Leaves anytime. Flowers as a garnish.

Take cuttings in August if you want a plant in January.
Rose, lemon, and peppermint types are different clones. Smell before you buy.

Safety

Essential oil internally is not this plate

Lore

French perfumers used rose geranium as a cheaper rose extender. Victorian greenhouses were full of named scents — nutmeg, apple, peppermint — a library of leaves. The cake-tin trick is older than boxed mix and still works.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.