Geranium pratense L.
Meadow Crane's-bill
Meadow crane's-bill is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial and one of our showiest native geraniums. It builds up a mound of deeply cut, palmate leaves and sends up branching, hairy stems that carry generous, saucer-shaped flowers of soft violet-blue, each veined and centred with paler tones.
About
Meadow crane's-bill is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial and one of our showiest native geraniums. It builds up a mound of deeply cut, palmate leaves and sends up branching, hairy stems that carry generous, saucer-shaped flowers of soft violet-blue, each veined and centred with paler tones. After flowering it produces the long, beak-like seed capsules that give crane's-bills their name. It is fully hardy and forms substantial clumps in good conditions.
In the wild it is a plant of unimproved hay meadows, grassy road verges, riverbanks and woodland margins, generally on neutral to base-rich soils in sun or light shade. The open flowers are readily worked by bumblebees, honeybees and hoverflies through midsummer. Reliable and long-lived, it is equally at home in a traditional meadow mix and in a herbaceous or cottage-style border, where it gives height and a long season of colour with little fuss.
Also known as
Meadow Geranium
Synonyms
? pilosicanescens · Geranium acknerianum · Geranium aconitifolium · Geranium aconitifolium album · Geranium affine · Geranium alpinum · Geranium asiaticum dissectum · Geranium batrachioides · Geranium caeruleum · Geranium finitimum
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.