Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum – Native Plant of North America

The gorgeous Geranium maculatum Wild Geranium of the Geraniaceae family is part of the Geraniales Order of flowering dicots. This is an absolutely gorgeous native wildflower. I don’t know why anyone grows invasive species in their yards when we have so many gorgeous native flowers like Wild Geranium. If you live anywhere in eastern North America, I highly recommend this beautiful flower for your yard. It has large pink geranium flowers. Once established, it requires no maintenance, and even though it spreads vegetatively by rhizome, it is never invasive. The bees and other wildlife will also be grateful if you plant them in your yard.

Description of Wild Geranium, Wild Cranesbill Geranium maculatum

Geranium maculatum Stem & Leaves

Herbaceous perennial 30 – 100 cm tall from thick spreading rhizomes that can get quite long and grow 5-10 cm thick. The rhizome allows it to spread vegetatively, though it is not an aggressive spreader, so it does not become invasive where it grows. Stems are green and hairy and arise from the base, and are generally not branched.

Leaves are deeply palmately 5 to 7-lobed and toothed in the top half of the lobes. Leaves are from 3-15 cm across in diameter. They are finely hairy on the upper surface and have more coarse hairs on the lower surface.

The basal leaves arise from long hairy petioles (leaf stalks) up to 30 cm long. Leaves arising from the flower stalk are on much shorter petioles.

Geranium maculatum Flowers

The showy pink to lavender or sometimes white flowers appear anywhere from March to July, depending on location, elevation, exposure, etc.

They appear in loose cymes or umbels of 2 – 3(-5) flowers on top of a stem with 2 palmately lobed leaves. Flowers are large for native geraniums, being 2.5 – 4 cm across with 5 free petals.

The flowers are bisexual with 10 stamens with yellow anthers that turn brown with age. These are clustered around the single pistil with 5 carpels. The style is a single whitish style that splits into 5 forks at the terminal end.

Geranium maculatum Fruits

Its fruit matures about 1 month after blooming is complete. It is a typical geranium fruit, a long, thin erect schizocarp with 5 mericarps. The entire fruit is about 2.5 cm long. It has a characteristic long beak-like structure (giving it the common name of Cranesbill) surrounded by 5 elongated columnar mericarps. The mericarps start to peel open along the seeds and elastically eject a single small, black seed from each of the 5 mericarps.

Similar Species Frequently Confused With

Geraniums have characteristic foliage and flowers that make them difficult to confuse with most other genera.

However, the following are a few non-related species that could, at first glance, be confused with Geranium maculatum.

• Cardiac leonurus has, at first glance, geranium-like leaves, but the small burgundy flowers are located in the leaf axils. It is native to North America and Asia.
• Anemonestrum canadense also has geranium-like leaves and is found in northeast North America, but its 3 whorled leaves are three-lobed. Its white flowers are found singly on top of a stem above and through the center of its whorled leaves and have numerous yellow stamens clustered in the center.
• Podophyllum peltatum Mayapple has lobed leaves similar to geranium species, but they are much, much larger, and their single white flower appears below its large leaves, and it produces a large round fruit.
• Hydrastis canadensis Goldenseal is found in northeast North America, but it is becoming increasingly rare. It, like Mayapple, has much larger lobed leaves, and its flower and fruit are found immediately on top of the large leaves. The flowers have showy white stamens that are often mistaken for deeply cut petals.

We have many native and introduced Geraniums throughout North America. Following is a list of species that grow in eastern North America that could be confused with Geranium maculatum.

• Geranium bicknellii Bicknell’s Cranesbill has much smaller flowers, petals that are notched instead of whole, and more finely cut leaves with the teeth in the top half cut deeply into additional lobes. It is found throughout the northeast and Midwest but less so in the southeastern part of North America.
• Geranium carolinianum Carolina Geranium is found throughout a very similar range, but it has a much more compact flower cluster with flowers that are a fair bit smaller. The petals are generally much lighter pink and are often bifid. Sepals are often of equal or even greater length than the petals.
• Geranium robertianum Robert Geranium is found in east and western North America; it is native to Eurasia and northern Africa. It has smaller flowers, more deeply lobed leaves that are also usually a bit smaller, and it has conspicuous characteristic red to pinkish stems.
• Geranium sylvaticum is an introduced species found sporadically in northeast North America. It has similar leaves, and its flowers are fairly large, 2 – 3 cm across, but they usually have white in the center of their petals, and the style is pink on the outside and white on the inside.
• Geranium viscosissimum is generally a western species but is occasionally found in the east. It can be differentiated by the fact that its hairs are always sticky and resinous, and it has a solid pink style instead of whitish.
• Geranium pratense Meadow Geranium is native to Eurasia but was introduced to eastern North America. It can be differentiated by its always bluish or purple flowers with purple anthers that occur in pairs.
• Geranium sanguineum is also native to Eurasia but is commonly found in North America. It can be differentiated by its more finely divided leaves and its reddish-purple flowers with its obovate-notched petals that are only 1.5 – 2 cm across. Its fruits are also hairy.
• Geranium macrorrhizum is native to the Alps but has been introduced in North America. It can be differentiated by its strongly exserted pink stamens and pink anthers that are much longer than Geranium maculatum.
• Geranium lucidum is native to Europe but was introduced in North America. It can be differentiated by its much more rounded leaf lobes and much smaller flowers.

Distribution of Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum

Wild Cranesbill is an eastern North American species.

In Canada, Wild Geranium is found in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.

In the USA, Wild Geranium is found in North & South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North & South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

It is not found in Mexico.

Habitat & Growing Conditions of Geranium maculatum

Wild Geraniums are found in dry to moist woodlands, forest edges, thickets, and meadows. It is not an effective colonizer and, as such, prefers undisturbed locations. It will only rarely be found in disturbed sites.

They require a moderate amount of water, from moist to dry but never permanently wet or arid. The soil they prefer is rich in organic matter, common under the forest canopy, and on the mildly acidic side. However, they have been found growing in neutral to mildly alkaline soils.

They prefer partial shade but can be found in full sun or full shade. However, very few plants grown in full shade ever flower and instead reproduce vegetatively through spreading rhizomes.

Growing Wild Geranium in Your Garden

Make sure that the chosen location in your garden is similar to what it grows in its natural environment. If you have partially shaded woods or the edge of a forest or tree habitat, that would be ideal. Otherwise, grow in partial shade to full sun as long as the soil remains somewhat moist.

Be sure to amend the soil with lots of organic matter and check your soil pH to be sure it is on the acidic side.

Deadheading the flowers (removing dead blossoms) will extend the flowering period.

Plants can be cut back occasionally if they are spreading too far.

Rhizomes can be divided to make new plants to be planted elsewhere or share with your friends to encourage the spread of native species.

Propagation

Seeds should be collected approximately 1 month after the bloom period. Cut the seed heads directly into a paper bag where they should be left to dry, split open, and release their seeds. Seeds should then be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The seeds may then be sown outdoors in late fall or early spring without any cold treatment. However, the germination rate does increase with cold treatments.

Seeds sown in a greenhouse may sometimes flower in the first year. Otherwise, plants flower in their second or third year.

Rhizome division in fall or early spring is the fastest method of propagation, resulting in the highest success rate and fastest bloom time. Rhizomes are branched and often at right angles, which makes division quite easy. Make sure when you plant it, the crown is at soil level and not below, or it may not flower.

Wildlife Values of Wild Geranium

Seeds attract Mourning Doves, Bobwhite Quail and White-tailed Deer all of which feed on the seeds. White-tailed deer also feed on the flowers and native bees routinely visit the flowers.

Status of Geranium maculatum

Wild Cranesbill is considered Globally Secure, G5.

In Canada, Wild Geranium is considered Locally Secure S5 in Ontario, Imperiled S2 in Quebec and Critically Imperiled S1 in Manitoba.

In the USA, Geranium maculatum is considered Locally Secure S5 in Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, New York, and New Jersey. Wild Geranium is considered Apparently Secure S4 in Delaware. It is considered Imperiled S2 in Kansas. It is considered Critically Imperiled S1 in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Louisiana. In North Dakota, it is considered Possibly Extirpated (locally extinct) SH. In all other states where it is found, its status is not yet determined.

Geranium maculatum is not found in Mexico.

Traditional or Other Uses of Geranium maculatum

Geranium maculatum Medicinal Uses

Geranium maculatum was often used by native peoples for a range of ailments. A decoction of the whole plant was used as a wash for thrush in a child’s throat, to clean wounds, and to treat canker sores by the Cherokee. The Chippewa used it dried and powdered for mouth sores.

A decoction of the root was used to treat diarrhea by the Chippewa and Meskwaki, while the Iroquois used an infusion of the entire plant for diarrhea. The Chippewa also used the root as a powerful astringent.

The Iroquois used the root for itchy skin and dermatological problems. They also used it as an emetic, and laxative, for mouth sores and heart problems.

A poultice of the powdered or chewed root was used by Iroquois on a cut umbilical cord immediately after birth as well as for one that had not yet healed.

The Meskwaki and Ojibwa used the root for toothaches and sore gums. Meskwaki also used the root in a poultice for hemorrhoids and burns.

Wild Geranium as an Ornamental

Due to its large showy flowers, Wild Geranium is often used as an ornamental. It grows easily, requires little maintenance once established, and is non-invasive. Wild Geranium makes a great addition to borders, beds, and ground cover.

It can even be found readily in many nurseries and online stores, but note that these are cultivars of the wild type. If you live in eastern North America in particular, please use the wild type to encourage our native ecotypes to thrive in their natural environment as much as possible.

Ethical Wildcrafting of Geranium maculatum

Check the status in your state before harvesting since it is imperiled or vulnerable in several states. See the above section on Status. Alternatively, grow it in your garden for both its lovely leaves and flowers as well as its useful properties.

If you are harvesting Geranium maculatum from the wild, as always, use the 1 in 20 rule of Ethical Wildcrafting. Pick one in every 20 flowers, fruits, roots, or leaves you see.

Wildcrafting and Processing

Picked fruits, leaves, flowers, or roots can be placed in a basket, bowl, or paper bag and brought home for processing. If you are harvesting multiple products on the same day, be sure to label the roots in a paper bag so that you do not confuse different plants.

To dry the leaves, flowers, or fruits, simply place them on a rack or screen in a single layer and allow them to dry.

Roots should be brushed clean of any dirt and then chopped into more manageable pieces before drying. Dried roots are notoriously difficult to cut into smaller pieces once dried.

Once dried, the leaves, fruits, flowers, and roots can be stored in a jar for later use. Label your jar with the species’ name and the date of harvest. I also usually add the location of the harvest for my own reference.

Do not grind or crush the plant parts until you are ready to use them to keep them as fresh as possible and preserve their medicinal properties. When you pre-grind, even if stored in glass jars, this increases the oxidation rate and rapidly degrades the medicinal properties so that they are rendered ineffective in a shorter amount of time than if left as whole as possible.

Wildcrafting for Propagation

If you are harvesting seeds for propagation purposes, collect 1 in every 20 fruits you see, cutting them into a paper bag. Then allow them to dry and pop open, then separate the seeds and store them in a sealed container in the fridge. This will help preserve the seeds and increase their germination rate with cold treatment.

If you are harvesting rhizomes for propagation, carefully dig around the parent plant (1 in every 20 plants) and sever a rhizome from the plant, being careful to not disturb the entire plant as much as possible. Then be sure to fill in the hole that you had dug to harvest the rhizome. Bring your rhizome home and plant it as soon as possible in an ideal location (see Habitat & Growing Conditions and Growing Wild Geranium sections above). Do not allow the rhizome to dry out or get too warm in a hot vehicle on the way to its new home.

References and Resources

Canadensys Plant Search https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/search

Dictionary of Botanical Terms – by Lyrae’s Nature Blog https://lyraenatureblog.com/blog/dictionary-of-botanical-terms/

iNaturalist Plant Search https://www.inaturalist.org/home

IUCN Red List https://www.iucnredlist.org/

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on Geranium maculatum https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=gema

Native American Ethnobotany http://naeb.brit.org/

NatureServe Explorer https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search

USDA Plants Database https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home

Willis, Lyrae (Unpublished).  Plant Families of North America. 

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