What is this plant? Is any part edible?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by rootsdigger, May 25, 2015.

  1. rootsdigger

    rootsdigger New Member

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    I bought this plant from Lowe's a few years ago. It grows great every year in the same pot. I'm considering putting some of this in a batch of beer, but must first know if it is edible. It has a very pungent, sweet/sour, aroma almost like a combination of kiwi/strawberry/grapefruit.
     

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  2. Sundrop

    Sundrop Well-Known Member

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    Looks like Geranium. Welcome to the forum.
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    A dark form of G. dalmaticum, haven't noted what cultivar name (or names) is in use for these.
     
  4. rootsdigger

    rootsdigger New Member

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    Is this an edible plant?
     
  5. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer Generous Contributor 10 Years

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  6. Axel

    Axel Active Member

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    More likely to be a G. x cantabrigiense cultivar, what do you think?
     
  7. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Yes of course it could be that also - I don't remember what nursery tags are saying.
     
  8. rootsdigger

    rootsdigger New Member

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  9. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Another cultivar name is being used on stock of this type offered here.
     
  10. rootsdigger

    rootsdigger New Member

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    The original question of edibility still has not been answered. Does anyone know if this plant is edible or not?
     
  11. Axel

    Axel Active Member

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    It's not.
     
  12. rootsdigger

    rootsdigger New Member

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    Why is it not edible?
     
  13. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Some Geraniums flowers are edible..See under scented pelargoniums

    http://www.thompson-morgan.com/edible-flowers

    Quote...."Scented pelargoniums Geranium clorinda, Geranium fragrans, Geranium graveolens, Geranium quercifolia, Geranium tomentosum The leaves have a powerful citrus fragrance and will add flavour to cakes and meringue roulades. The flowers have a faint citrus flavour similar to the leaves and are ideal crystallised and scattered on desserts."

    http://www.geraniumsonline.com/recipes.htm
     
  14. Axel

    Axel Active Member

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    Yes, but let's not forget that the list only includes Pelargonium species, which - despite the misleading common name - are not true geraniums, such as the plant we talk about here. Species belonging to the genus Geranium are not considered edible. In a way you can say that they are edible since they tend not to be poisonous, they are just not quite suitable for human consumption.
     
  15. woodschmoe

    woodschmoe Active Member 10 Years

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    www.pfaf.org (Plants for a Future database) is always a good place to check on the edibility of various plants. They list 24 Geranium species (they list Pelargoniums separately, so are not confusing the two), with 11 of them listed as edible--though not always good...they use an edibility scale of 1-5 ('5' being tasty, '1' being technically edible). All but one of the edible species listed gets a '1'. Yours (catabrigiense) isn't on the list.
     
  16. rootsdigger

    rootsdigger New Member

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    WoodSchmoe - Thanks for that link!

    And thank you to all who responded to my request(s).
     

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