Mature size & growth rate

How big does Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses' (Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses') get?

Also called Attar of Roses geranium, Rose-scented pelargonium Attar of Roses.

More about pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses'

About Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses'

Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses' · also called Attar of Roses geranium, Rose-scented pelargonium Attar of Roses · herb

'Attar of Roses' is a rose-scented geranium prized for the intense, sweet rose fragrance released when its soft, lobed leaves are brushed. A vigorous South African Pelargonium, it grows as a bushy tender perennial used for potpourri, flavouring and essential oil. It loves bright sun, well-drained gritty soil and dislikes wet roots and frost.

Mature size: 60-100 cm tall and 60-90 cm wide in a season; larger if overwintered and grown on for several years.

Watch for — Leggy, sparse growth: Too little light or skipped pinching. Move to full sun and pinch shoot tips regularly to force branching.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses' is a garden shrub whose final size is set more by your secateurs than by the plant — pruning, not luck, decides how big it gets. Indoors and in a pot, expect 60-100 cm tall and 60-90 cm wide in a season. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — larger if overwintered and grown on for several years. — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

Left unpruned it builds a woody framework that gets taller and wider every year; with annual pruning you hold it at whatever size suits the space.

Growth rate and years to mature

Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses' is a fast grower. Realistically, expect two to four years from a young plant to a room-filling specimen in good light. Its feeding profile backs this up: feed every 2-4 weeks through spring and summer with a balanced or slightly high-potash liquid feed; a tomato-type feed encourages flowering. stop feeding in autumn and winter.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' grows.

How to keep pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Prune pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' annually at the right time for its type — this is the primary, expected way to control its size.
Remove the oldest, thickest stems at the base each year to keep it open and within bounds.
Growing it in a large container rather than open ground naturally restricts the ultimate size.
Avoid heavy feeding if you want to limit growth — rich soil and lots of nitrogen drive bigger, faster shrubs.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Prune at the right time. Time the cut to pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses''s type (after flowering for many spring shrubs, late winter for summer-flowering ones) so you do not lose the next display.
Take out the oldest stems. Remove up to a third of the oldest, thickest stems at the base to renew the shrub and contain it.
Shorten the rest. Cut the remaining stems back to an outward-facing bud at the height and width you want.
Restrict the roots. For a permanent size cap, grow it in a large container rather than open ground.

How to grow pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' the accelerators are:

Plant it in open ground in good soil — far more vigorous than a container-restricted plant.
Full sun (which it wants) plus an annual mulch and feed gives the strongest growth.
Water well through the first establishment years; a settled root system drives the fastest size gain.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses':

It shades or crowds neighbouring plants, or blocks a path it used to clear.
Bare, woody, unproductive centres with growth only on the outside — a sign it needs renovation pruning.
It has clearly exceeded the space you allotted and an annual trim no longer holds it.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses' size — frequently asked questions

How big does pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' get?

Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses' reaches 60-100 cm tall and 60-90 cm wide in a season when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (larger if overwintered and grown on for several years.). Left unpruned it builds a woody framework that gets taller and wider every year; with annual pruning you hold it at whatever size suits the space.

Is pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' slow or fast growing?

Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses' is a fast grower. Expect two to four years from a young plant to a room-filling specimen in good light. Pelargonium graveolens 'Attar of Roses' is a garden shrub whose final size is set more by your secateurs than by the plant — pruning, not luck, decides how big it gets.

How long does pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' take to reach full size?

Roughly two to four years from a young plant to a room-filling specimen in good light. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' smaller?

Prune pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' annually at the right time for its type — this is the primary, expected way to control its size. Remove the oldest, thickest stems at the base each year to keep it open and within bounds. Growing it in a large container rather than open ground naturally restricts the ultimate size. Avoid heavy feeding if you want to limit growth — rich soil and lots of nitrogen drive bigger, faster shrubs.

How can I make pelargonium graveolens 'attar of roses' grow bigger or faster?

Plant it in open ground in good soil — far more vigorous than a container-restricted plant. Full sun (which it wants) plus an annual mulch and feed gives the strongest growth. Water well through the first establishment years; a settled root system drives the fastest size gain.