Geranium carolinianum

Common Names

Carolina Geranium, Carolina Cranesbill, Wild Geranium, Crane's Bill Geranium

Summary

Carolina cranesbill is a native North American wildflower that is an annual or biennial herb with many branches and pubescent stems, typically under 1 ft tall. Leaves are palmately divided into 5–9 lobes and hairy; flowers are small, white to pale pink or lavender, in loose clusters at stem ends; seed capsules are crane’s-bill shaped and long beaked; the plant self-seeds readily and can naturalize in disturbed areas; nectar visitors include bees and hover flies.

It thrives in full sun to partial shade and tolerates poor, dry soils such as gravelly, sandy, or hardpan clay; drought-tolerant; hardy in USDA zones 3–10; propagated by seed with no pretreatment required; uses include ornamental native wildflower plantings, restoration seed mixes, and pollinator gardens, with naturalizing potential in suitable sites.

Lifecycle

Annual

Height

4-24 inches

Spread

1-2 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 2-11

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained, dry, nutrient-poor soils (sandy, gravelly, or rocky).

Soil Drainage

Well-drained

Soil pH

6.0-8.0, Neutral to alkaline

Bloom Color

Pale pink to pale lavender, sometimes nearly white

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Green to red, with grayish-green variants and reddening with age or in fall

Fall Foliage Color

Red to Burgundy

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds (self-seeding, natural reseeding, seed dispersal from seed pods, cleistogamous seed production, sow directly in early spring)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds