‘Crystal Palace Gem’ was first introduced in 1869 and has been a star in the garden ever since. It was named for Joseph Paxton’s elaborate glass house designed in 1851 for London’s Great Exhibition in Hyde Park. Like its namesake, the plant is showy, with its round chartreuse leaves with a midgreen center and its salmon-red flowers. ‘Crystal Palace Gem’ looks good from spring until frost. —Marty Wingate, “Plants to Know and Grow,” Fine Gardening #120
Noteworthy CharacteristicsIntroduced in 1869. Variegated foliage and salmon-red flowers. Long bloom time.
CareProvide full sun and lean, gravelly, well-drained soil. An all-purpose, organic fertilizer at planting time, regular watering, and a weak dose of nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer every two or three weeks will keep this plant going strong throughout the growing season. In late fall, potted plants can be moved to a brightly lit, unheated greenhouse or cool kitchen window to overwinter until the following spring.
PropagationFrom cuttings
ProblemsThrips, spider mites, mealybugs, caterpillars, gray mold, mildew, black leg, flower break virus, Xanthomonas blight, edema
- Genus : Pelargonium
- Plant Height : 1 to 3 feet
- Plant Width : 1 to 3 feet
- Uses : Containers
- Bloom Time : Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Spring, Summer
- Light : Full Sun
- Flower Color : Green, Red
- Moisture : Medium Moisture
- Maintenance : Moderate
- Plant Type : Perennials
- Characteristics : Showy Foliage
- Plant Seasonal Interest : Spring Interest
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