Meanings
plural scarlet geraniums
- A small annual flowering shrub, endemic to South Africa, of species Pelargonium inquinans, popular as an ornamental plant during the Victorian era.
In the leaded window, high up, a row of pots of scarlet geraniums and blue larkspur gave the bright note of colour against the dull background of the oak.
1905, Baroness Emmusca Orczy, chapter II, in The Scarlet Pimpernel, page 14Synonyms: scented pelargonium, scarlet pelargonium
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA small annual flowering shrub, endemic to South Africa, of species Pelargonium inquinans, popular as an ornamental plant during the Victorian era.
Origin
Named for the vibrant red color of its flowers, and similarity of the genus Pelargonium to the related Geranium.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish tulipelargoni
- tulipelargoniPelargonium inquinans
French pélargonium écarlate
- pélargonium écarlatePelargonium inquinans
Cite this entry
scarlet geranium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scarlet%20geranium
“scarlet geranium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scarlet%20geranium. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scarlet geranium,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scarlet%20geranium.
Source: scarlet geranium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.