Pelargonium triste is a night-scented South African plant that thrives in various conditions, from coastal sandy flats to mountainous terrain. This plant is a geophyte which means it goes dormant in hot, dry summers, which allows it to survive.

It has hairy, divided, and softly feathered leaves that emerge from the tuberous rootstock at ground level. Its flowers are maroon in color with black markings and a clove-like scent.

John Tradescant’s son, a well-known plant collector, brought the night-scented flowering pelargonium to England in 1632, making it one of the first species from the Cape to be cultivated in the United Kingdom.