Pelargonium cordifolium leaves

The faintly scented leaves of Pelargonium cordifolium are heart-shaped as the name indicates. The Latin word for heart is cor or cordis, while folium (also Latin) means leaf.

The leaves are dark green on their upper surfaces, whitish from dense hairiness on the lower ones. The occasional persistent old leaf turned orange or red is typical of the species.

The leaf margins are finely toothed. The leaf surfaces are sometimes wavy, usually folding in along the midribs. Leaves may be between 5 cm and 7 cm long and up to 5 cm wide (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org).