Geranium Oil is steam distilled from the leaves and branches of Pelargonium Graveolens and other species of Pelargonium. This comparatively small plant is a hybrid from other pelargonium species, all of which originally came from South Africa.
Traditionally, Geranium Bourbon is a specific cultivar of P. graveolens, produced on the island of Reunion. Bourbon is only produced in small quantities and is much in demand. A modern analysis listed the presence of over 50 organic compounds in the essential oil of P. graveolens from an Australian source.Analyses of Indian geranium oils indicated a similar phytochemical profile, and showed that the major constituents (in terms of % composition) were citronellol + nerol and geraniol.