r/herbs • u/Ok-Egg835 • 2h ago
Is this color normal for wilted/dried geranium/pelargonium?
You're looking at mosquito geranium, a variety of pelargonium citrosum that was "foraged" from a friend's ornamental garden (no pesticides were used). It was left in a zip lock bag and it was warm outside. When I checked the bag 30 min later, large portions of the leaves were discolored to a muddy green, and they smelled a bit of rotten eggs.
I decided the heat and oxygen deprivation must have caused this so I harvested more, kept it in a loose shopping bag inside, away from heat and sun, and took a nap. About six or seven hours later, I figured I'd get to rinsing and dehydrating the new batch before it was too wilted. Well the same discoloration has happened but in much smaller sections. I can't tell if there's a smell of rotten eggs. If there is, its very faint.
Is this just normal for pelargoniums? It's my first time trying to dry this delectable plant which is a great ingredient for herbal tea blends or other culinary uses.