Wild Geranium is a wonderful woodland perennial and a must for every wildflower garden. The wonderful lavender blossoms appear in May. They sometimes produce a re-bloom in September though this is rare.
The plant grows from a thick root stock and begins to leaf out in late April. The leaves are dark green and deeply lobed and add a lot of texture to the garden. The plant forms a nice clump in a short amount of time but is never invasive. After the flowers die back the seed heads that form are shaped like cranes bills hence its common name of cranes bill geranium. The seeds are shot away from the plant when they are ripe by the seed casing that acts as a catapult. So if you want to save the seed you have to be vigilant and watch for the plant to start releasing them.
Wild Geranium likes a soil high in organic matter. It can tolerate fairly dry soil but may go dormant early if the soil is too dry. It needs part sun to shade.
Wild Geranium can be used in combination with many other woodland plants. I like to use it with Ferns, Wild Columbine, Creeping Phlox, Foam Flower and Violets to name a few.
