Pelargonium grossularioides
Gooseberry geranium
(c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Rebelo · licence
Family: Geraniaceae · Type: Subshrub · Not Native
Pelargonium grossularioides (Gooseberry geranium) is a non-native California subshrub in the Geraniaceae family, recognized by consistently small flowers and often annual habit vs shrubby relatives.
Gooseberry geranium is a naturalized perennial found in coastal California regions including Northern Coast, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, and Southern Coast in disturbed sites at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces delicate pink to rose-purple flowers less than one centimeter wide in open clusters of 3 to 50 blossoms. Growing with prostrate or sprawling stems 20 to 50 centimeters long and less than 3 millimeters in diameter, it spreads with sparse, short hairs. Its leaves are broadly round to ovate, typically less than 6 centimeters wide, with lobes that are coarsely toothed. The plant forms a low, spreading habit in disturbed landscapes, with a distinctive ability to grow in areas altered by human activity.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; key feature is consistently small flowers and often annual habit vs shrubby relatives
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed sites
Elevation: < 300 m
Outside California: native to southern Africa
Bloom period
Pelargonium grossularioides blooms Apr-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Geranium: Pelargonium is a shrub with asymmetrical flowers; Geranium is herbaceous with symmetrical flowers.; vs Malva: Pelargonium has asymmetrical flowers with 1-7 stamens; Malva has symmetrical flowers with many stamens fused in a column.; vs Impatiens: Pelargonium has no backward spur on flowers; Impatiens has a prominent curved spur.; vs Kalanchoe: Pelargonium has lobed leaves and spirally-coiled fruit beaks; Kalanchoe has succulent leaves and upright capsules.; vs Oxalis: Pelargonium has lobed leaves and asymmetrical flowers; Oxalis has clover-like compound leaves with symmetrical flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pelargonium grossularioides native to California?
No. Pelargonium grossularioides is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Pelargonium grossularioides bloom?
Pelargonium grossularioides blooms Apr-Jul.
What plant family does Pelargonium grossularioides belong to?
Pelargonium grossularioides is in the Geraniaceae family, genus Pelargonium.
What habitat does Pelargonium grossularioides grow in?
Pelargonium grossularioides grows in Disturbed sites.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.