Rose Geranium for Uplifted Relaxation: Herbal Home Remedy

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Rose Geranium for Uplifting Relaxationby Sarah Jay

For herbal cultivators, geraniums are a familiar sight and smell in the garden. With scents that cover the spectrum of rose, lemon, pepper, chocolate, and more, geraniums are useful for herbal nerds and noobs alike. Here, we’ll focus on the beloved rose geranium.

A Brief History of Rose Geranium

Rose scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens or Pelargonium x asperum) originated in South Africa. People native to the area used the plant for treatment of colic, kidney stones, fevers, and various respiratory conditions. Rose geranium first made its way to the west when Europeans colonized the Cape region. Paul Hermann, a German botanist, first recorded a Pelargonium species there in 1672 – one he found on Table Mountain. He brought a specimen back to Germany, and its offspring spread to France and then Britain over the next 50 years.

The name Pelargonium comes from the Greek root word for ‘stork’, referring to the beak-shaped fruit of rose geranium. In the 1800s, with symbolic floral arrangements making waves, rose geraniums were used to convey love and affection. Then, their use in cooking and aromatherapy was popularized too.
By the early 19th century, rose geranium essential oil production began in Southern France. Other areas of the world where rose geraniums were already popular followed suit. Rose geranium aromatherapy is still popular today.

In the past few years, non-governmental organizations worked with farmers in South Africa to produce large enough amounts of rose geranium for essential oil extraction. These efforts are meant to support farmers who diverted their energy from food production, which has been difficult due to drought and harsh weather conditions. By caring for this plant, native to their home, they make a living in the global economy – a testament to rose geranium’s generous nature.

Growing Your Own Rose Geranium

Rose geranium is a lovely, prolific plant, with an intoxicating and relaxing aroma. It’s not hard to cultivate some of your own. So, let’s talk about the basic needs of this easy-going plant.

First, you’ll want to provide a good setting for rose geranium. It’s an herbaceous perennial that blooms in spring and summer, and it loves partial shade. Especially in regions where it gets hot in the summer, provide more shade than sun. Give it rich, well-drained soil. Start gardening rose geranium in a container if you live in an area that has extreme weather. A container will also help keep this aggressive plant in check, as it will take over. Bring rose geranium in when it’s too hot, and when it’s too cold. A grow light or a south-facing window indoors will keep your rose geranium plant healthy.

General rose geranium maintenance involves watering and pruning. Provide enough water to keep the soil moist but not too wet, as this causes root rot. Pruning is easy. Do this throughout the season when you harvest for teas, body care products, essential oils, satchels, and the like. As with other flowering plants, deadhead spent flowers throughout the growth period. If you plant your rose geranium in the ground, give it a good prune to half its size in the fall when it starts to die back and add mulch to keep the roots warm and healthy throughout winter. This way rose geranium will rise again in spring.

Harvest rose geranium beginning when it’s at least 6 inches (15 cm) tall. Use scissors or garden shears to prevent damage to the overall plant. You can pick flowers before they are spent to incorporate into baked goods, floral arrangements, and potpourris too.

Fresh rose geranium flowers won’t keep for long, so use them right away. Leaves keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Avoid drying the leaves for infusions as they aren’t as potent in this state. Both flowers and leaves can be dried for potpourri.

Using Rose Geranium in Your Home

Let’s cover the myriad ways you can incorporate rose geranium into your daily herbal practice.

Beauty and Health with Rose Geranium

If you want to use rose geranium for its essential oil, you’ll need a lot of it. Unless you plan to purchase some rose geranium oil from a nearby store, make sure you have at least five packed handfuls of leaves. Gather them just before the shrub flowers. Wash and dry the leaves to make sure they’re free of bugs and dirt. Then place them in a 16-ounce (473 cm) glass jar with your preferred carrier oil. Push them down, seal the jar, and leave it in a warm place out of direct sunlight for one week. Then filter the oil through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a dark-colored glass container until there is absolutely no plant matter left. Use the oil within one year.

Rose geranium essential oil is perfect for a relaxing bath. Two or three drops is all you need to sink in and relieve some of the stress you may have accrued from a long workday. Incorporate the oil into potpourri made with whole dried plant matter.

Use rose geranium for a relaxing and uplifting massage. Whether you’re massaging yourself or someone else, all you need is some almond oil and a few drops of rose geranium essential oil. Note that people who have nut allergies will do better with another base oil. Sometimes after a hard day in the garden, a foot massage with rose geranium oil is a huge relief.

Apply a rose geranium cream to you skin in areas affected by psoriasis, eczema, or bacterial acne. If you don’t have aqueous cream handy to make your own, you could use a dilution of essential oil in water instead. Not only will a cream or water-diluted oil remove dead skin cells, but it will also eliminate any bacteria present on your skin.

It’s lovely in a facial steam, too. Fill a sink or basin with hot, steamy water, and add a few drops of rose geranium. Then lean above the water with a towel over your head to let the steam permeate your skin to provide anti-aging antioxidants. In this same vein, you can dilute the oil in water and apply it to your hair as a toner.

Rose Geranium in the Kitchen

Rose geranium is perfectly safe for incorporation into culinary confections. Stir some essential oil into your favorite plain cake batter. Top baked goods with fresh rose geranium flowers. Chop leaves and flowers and add them to batter or dough. Infused them into warm milk for batters. Anywhere a sweet rose flavor works, rose geranium is a perfect fit.

Try an infusion of rose geranium leaves in vinegar, and use the vinegar in dressings, herbal-infused drinks, or for cosmetic purposes.

Infuse rose geranium leaves in hot water for some afternoon tea. This calms the nerves and your digestive system. It’s also great for pre-menstrual symptoms and sore muscles. You can incorporate a few rose geranium leaves with peppermint, cloves, and honey for a calming respite.

Rose Geranium in Housekeeping and Garden Care

Plain tea of rose geranium is also an excellent pest control for the rest of your herb garden. Simply dilute it in some water and apply to plants with a spray bottle once per week.

Scent your rooms with a spray of rose geranium oil diluted in water with a small amount of alcohol. Or hang satchels of the leaves in the corners of your rooms. Place satchels in drawers, cabinets, and closets to keep moths and other cloth-loving insects out.

Rose Geranium Resource Guide

Here is a list of resources for those who would like to learn more about rose geranium history, phytochemistry, or ways to use products of the plant in your home. It’s an easy plant to work with. So here are some places you can take a deep dive into the benefits of rose geranium.
Picture of Sarah Jay

Sarah Jay

Sarah Jay (freelance writer at sarahjaywriting.com) grew up in her family’s gardens. She began studying plant medicines in college at the University of North Texas, where she earned her Bachelor’s in English Literature and Master’s in Applied Anthropology. Moving from the Gulf Coast to North Texas was a bit of a soil shock but working within these limitations has helped sculpt her into the gardener she is today. Sarah wants to empower readers of gardening and herbal publications to grow gracefully, practically, and efficiently so they can achieve their desired results.

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