Geranium vs. Pelargonium: Clarifying the 'Geranium Bush' Confusion

Is There a "Geranium Bush"?

The common name "geranium" refers to two different genera:

• Hardy geraniums (Geranium spp.) – perennial, mound-forming, not woody.
• Tender geraniums (Pelargonium spp.) – the classic potted "geranium" with rounded leaves and ball-shaped flowers.

Neither is a true woody shrub. Large, old Pelargonium specimens (4–5 feet tall) are sometimes casually called "geranium bushes," but they have open, leggy stems, not the dense branching of a real bush.

If you want a shrubby plant with geranium-like flowers, consider Hibiscus syriacus (rose of Sharon) or Abelia.