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Geraniaceae
Bloody Cranesbill
Geranium sanguineum
Enduring grace.
- Family
- Geraniaceae
- Genus
- Geranium
- Native to
- Europe, Western Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 0.5-1.5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- well-drained, poor to moderately fertile
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 3-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The name 'bloody' refers not to the flower color but to the vivid crimson-red that the leaves and stems turn in autumn.
- The beak-like seed pods that give cranesbills their name function as a catapult: when ripe, they twist and eject seeds up to 15 feet away.
- Geranium sanguineum has been cultivated in European gardens since at least the 16th century, making it one of the oldest still-popular garden perennials.
- It grows naturally on limestone pavements and rocky outcrops, and is one of the characteristic plants of the UK's Burren limestone region.
- The plant is remarkably long-lived, with individual clumps known to persist and slowly expand for decades in undisturbed garden settings.
Color meanings
0
steadfastness
1
charm
2
earthly beauty