Skip to main content

Carolina cranesbill

Also known as: Carolina geranium

Geranium carolinianum L.

Images

Click on image to view full size

Carolina cranesbill flower
Carolina cranesbill
Carolina cranesbill leaves

Morphology

Stem
Erect, branched near base and above, sparsely hairy; branches up to 24 inches long.
Leaves
Alternate, stalked, pale or dull green, circular in outline, 1 to 2.5 inches wide, deeply palmately-divided into 5-9 lobes; lobes cleft or parted; lobe tips blunt.
Inflorescence
Flowers usually in pairs, pairs grouped into loose clusters in upper leaf axils.
Flower
Small, 1/3 to 1/2 inch across; sepals 5, overlapping, narrowly to broadly ovate, 3-5-nerved, hairy, bristle-tipped; petals 5, about equaling sepals, overlapping, white or pink, tips rounded to blunt; stamens 10.
Fruit
Capsules, slender, 1 to 2 inches long, hairy, with 5 1-seeded cavities at base, prominent column topped by 5 short beaks; seeds oblong, dark brown.

Ecology

Habitat
Dry waste areas, fields, prairies, pastures, lawns, and roadsides; various soil types.
Distribution
East 2/3 of Kansas.

Additional Notes

Comments

Carolina cranesbill is a somewhat weedy species that reproduces via seeds.

Quick Facts
Plant Type
Wildflower
Family
Geraniaceae - Geranium Family
Life Span
Annual
Height
4-28 inches
Origin
Native
Last Updated
2007-11-13
Color Groups
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Blooms: May, June