Zonal Geranium 'Mrs. Quilter'

"Fancy-leaved" geraniums (Pelargoniums) were quite popular for bedding in Victorian gardens, so many of the fancy zonals grown today were bred/ discovered during the Nineteenth Century. One of the lesser-known cultivars is 'Mrs. Quilter.'

Striking leaves of 'Mrs. Quilter'

Nondescript pink flowers

The leaves feature prominent bronze-red zones on a chartreuse ground. The small flowers, like those of many other fancy pelargoniums, are not the focal point, and are a pretty but rather plain pink. The plant is not dwarf, and can become leggy, so for the bushiest plants rigorous pinching is required-- or the grower can regularly root new plants and discard the older shrubby ones.

According to the nursery Geraniaceae.com, 'Mrs. Quilter' was bred by Laing in the UK in 1860.