Odor Control in Geranium Plants

Geranium Essential Oil Compounds

• The pronounced, distinctive fragrance of geraniums comes from the essential oil stored in its small glands (primarily in the leaves) and, to a lesser degree, all over the plant, with the exception of the roots. According to Purdue University, the individual components of geranium essential oil include geraniol, linalol, citronellol and citronellyl formate. These same compounds are also present, in varying degrees, in the essential oil of rose plants. The fresh green, slightly musty and sweetly spicy fragrance of geranium is reminiscent of rose, but has a minty and herbal quality that makes geranium a sharper, more robust scent.

Ambient Fragrance

• The strong scent of geranium essential oil makes it an ideal fragrance oil to scent home odor-control products. From candles and room sprays to oil pots and potpourri, geranium oil can help to freshen a room or mask foul smells with a fresh green scent. Different species of geranium produce permutations of the essential oil; some are more robust, while others are more subtle. The green, herbaceous notes of the plant tend to cut through musty smells and provide the feeling of freshness. In addition to the extracted oil being used to scent products, the leaves themselves are also processed and used in drawer sachets or pomanders.

Repelling Insects

• One particular component of geranium essential oil, citronellol, is appreciated for its ability to help repel insects such as mosquitoes and other arthropods. This aspect of the plant oil makes geranium essential oil a useful ingredient in natural bug sprays and creams as well as in outdoor candles (like citronella candles), but with a softer, less medicinal fragrance. Essential oil daubed lightly on the skin can also be used as a deterrent to bugs attempting to single you out for a snack.

Homeopathic Treatments

• Though scented geranium foliage and geranium oils can cause an allergic reaction such as contact dermatitis, the plants have still been used in homeopathic and folk remedies. According to Purdue University, geranium essential oil is considered to be an astringent. The compound geraniol is extracted from the oil, and, when in solution, it's used as an expectorant; while the fragrant leaves of geranium are considered to possess anti-fungal capacities.