[2] The genus name Pelargonium, in scientific Latin, derives from the Greek pelargós (πελαργός), designating the stork, the shape of the fruit evoking the beak of the bird.

The species was described by the Dutch botanist Jan Commelijn (1629–1692) and illustrated with a watercolor by Maria Moninckx.

[citation needed] Pelargonium zonale is an upright or scrambling shrub, normally growing to about 1 m (3 ft) in height.

The leaves often have a narrow, dark, zigzag "zone" of pigmentation, giving rise to both the scientific and common names.

[2] In the 16th century, Pelargonium seeds were transported from Africa to Leiden in the Netherlands, where the plant was grown in the botanical garden there.