Pelargonium crispum, in Afrikaans known as the kartelblaarmalva (crenate-leaf pelargonium), is a leafy shrub that grows to heights around 70 cm. It does not resprout after fire.

The distribution is in the Western Cape from Worcester to Bredasdorp and into the western parts of the Little Karoo. This specimen was photographed near Greyton in October.

The habitat is arid fynbos on lower slopes where it typically grows in sandy soil among rocks, often sheltered by them. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Manning, 2009; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; http://redlist.sanbi.org).