''Geranium'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of 422

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual * Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...

, and

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

plant Plants are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic eukaryotes of the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all curr ...

s that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in the eastern part of the

Mediterranean region In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and ...

. The palmately cleft leaves are broadly circular in form. The flowers have five petals and are coloured white, pink, purple or blue, often with distinctive veining. Geraniums will grow in any soil as long as it is not waterlogged.

Propagation Propagation can refer to: * Chain propagation in a chemical reaction mechanism *Crack propagation, the growth of a crack during the fracture of materials *Propaganda, non-objective information used to further an agenda *Reproduction, and other form ...

is by semiripe cuttings in summer, by seed, or by division in autumn or spring. Geraniums are eaten by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. Th ...

e of some Lepidoptera species including

brown-tail The brown-tail moth (''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several year ...

ghost moth The ghost moth or ghost swift (''Hepialus humuli'') is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is common throughout Europe, except for in the far south-east. Female ghost moths are larger than males, and exhibit sexual dimorphism with their differ ...

, and

mouse moth The mouse moth (''Amphipyra tragopoginis'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a widespread species with a Holarctic distribution. Distribution Europe (except the extreme north, and not occurring in the south of Spain, Sicily, or the Balkan ...

. At least several species of ''Geranium'' are

gynodioecious Gynodioecy is a rare breeding system that is found in certain flowering plant species in which female and hermaphroditic plants coexist within a population. Gynodioecy is the evolutionary intermediate between hermaphroditism (exhibiting both fem ...

. The species ''

Geranium viscosissimum ''Geranium viscosissimum'', commonly known as the sticky purple geranium, is a perennial in the flowering plant family Geraniaceae. It is thought to be a protocarnivorous plant. Distribution This herbaceous perennial plant is native to the North ...

'' (sticky geranium) is considered to be

protocarnivorous A protocarnivorous plant (sometimes also paracarnivorous, subcarnivorous, or borderline carnivore), according to some definitions, traps and kills insects or other animals but lacks the ability to either directly digestion, digest or absorb nutrie ...

Name

The genus name is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

(''géranos'') or (''geranós'') '

crane Crane or cranes may refer to: Common meanings * Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird * Crane (machine), industrial machinery for lifting ** Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads People and fictional characters * Crane (surname) ...

'. The English name 'cranesbill' derives from the resemblance of the

fruit capsule In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry, though rarely fleshy dehiscent fruit produced by many species of angiosperms (flowering plants). Origins and structure The capsule (Latin: ''capsula'', small box) is derived from a compound (multica ...

of some of the species to a crane's head and bill. The

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the bod ...

portion forms the head and the prolonged stigma creates the appearance of a beak.

Description

The flowers are typically five-petaled and white to purple. The leaves are palmate divided into narrow, pointed segments. The fruit capsule consists of five cells joined to a column produced from the centre of the flower. The cells form lobes which eventually separate, each containing one seed. When the fruit is ripe, the beak-like stigma springs open and casts the seeds some distance, dispersing the seeds.

Confusion with ''Pelargonium''

Confusingly, "geranium" is also the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...

of members of the genus ''

Pelargonium ''Pelargonium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. ''Geranium'' is also the botanical name and common name of a sepa ...

'', which are also in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Geraniaceae Geraniaceae is a family of flowering plants placed in the order Geraniales. The family name is derived from the genus ''Geranium''. The family includes both the genus ''Geranium'' (the cranesbills, or true geraniums) and the garden plants called ...

and are widely grown as horticultural

bedding Bedding, also known as bedclothes or bed linen, is the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, protection of the mattress, and decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environm ...

plants.

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...

originally included all the species in one genus, ''Geranium'', but they were later separated into two genera by

Charles L’Héritier Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

in 1789. Other former members of the genus are now classified in ''

Erodium ''Erodium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the botanical family Geraniaceae. The genus includes about 60 species, native to North Africa, Indomalaya, the Middle East, and Australia. They are perennials, annuals, or subshrubs, with five-petal ...

'', including the plants known as filarees in North America. The term "hardy geranium" is often applied to horticultural ''Geranium''s to distinguish them from the ''Pelargonium''s, which are not winter-hardy in

horticulture. However, not all ''Geranium'' species are winter-hardy (see below). The shape of the flowers offers one way of distinguishing between the two genera ''Geranium'' and ''Pelargonium''. ''Geranium'' flowers have five very similar petals, and are thus radially symmetrical (

actinomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spiral ...

), whereas ''Pelargonium'' (and also ''Erodium'') flowers have two upper petals which are different from the three lower petals, so the flowers have a single plane of symmetry (

zygomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spiral ...

Cultivation

A number of geranium species are cultivated for horticultural use and for pharmaceutical products. Some of the more commonly grown species include: *'' Geranium albanum'' (crested cranesbill) *''

Geranium cinereum ''Geranium cinereum'', the ashy cranesbill, is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to the Pyrenees. Growing to tall and wide, it is a small, deciduous or semi-evergreen perennial usually grown for low ground cover, roc ...

'' *''

Geranium clarkei ''Geranium clarkei'', called Clarke's geranium, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to India and cultivated for use in gardens. Description It is an herbaceous perennial growing to in height, with deepl ...

'' (Clarke's geranium) *''

Geranium dalmaticum ''Geranium dalmaticum'', commonly called Dalmatian cranesbill, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus ''Geranium'' of the family Geraniaceae. It is native to Dalmatia on the west coast of Croatia. Growing to only ...

'' *''

Geranium endressii ''Geranium endressii'', commonly called Endres cranesbill or French crane's-bill, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous or semi-evergreen perennial plant in the genus ''Geranium'', family Geraniaceae. It is native to the Western Pyrenees i ...

'' (Endres's cranesbill) *''

Geranium erianthum ''Geranium erianthum'', the woolly geranium, is a flowering plant found in China, Japan, Russia, and North America. Within its range, it is often known as "wild geranium" or "cranesbill", but note that these common names are also used for several ...

'' (wooly geranium) *'' Geranium fremontii'' (Fremont's geranium) *''

Geranium himalayense ''Geranium himalayense'' (common names Himalayan crane's-bill or lilac cranesbill) is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus ''Geranium'', family Geraniaceae. It is native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, ...

'', often sold under ''Geranium grandiflorum'' *'' Geranium ibericum'' (Caucasus geranium), *'' Geranium macrorrhizum'' (bigroot cranesbill or bigroot geranium) *''

Geranium maculatum ''Geranium maculatum'', the wild geranium, spotted geranium, or wood geranium, is a perennial plant native to woodland in eastern North America, from southern Manitoba and southwestern Quebec south to Alabama and Georgia and west to Oklahoma ...

'' (wild geranium) *''

Geranium maderense ''Geranium maderense'', known as giant herb-Robert or the Madeira cranesbill, is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to the island of Madeira. It is sometimes confused with another Madeira endemic, ''Geranium palmatum' ...

'' (giant herb robert) *'' Geranium × magnificum'' (showy geranium) *'' Geranium phaeum'' (dusky cranesbill) *''

Geranium platypetalum ''Geranium platypetalum'', commonly called glandular crane's-bill or broad-petaled geranium, is a herbaceous plant species in the family Geraniaceae. It is native to Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Russian Federation, ...

'' (broad-petaled geranium) *''

Geranium pratense ''Geranium pratense'', the meadow crane's-bill or meadow geranium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to Europe and Asia. Forming a clump roughly tall and broad, it is a herbaceous perennial with hairy stems and la ...

'' (meadow cranesbill) *''

Geranium psilostemon ''Geranium psilostemon'', commonly called Armenian cranesbill, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus ''Geranium'', family Geraniaceae. It is native to Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation. ...

'' (Armenian cranesbill) *'' Geranium renardii'' (Renard geranium) *''

Geranium sanguineum ''Geranium sanguineum'', common names bloody crane's-bill or bloody geranium, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the cranesbill family Geraniaceae. It is also the county flower of Northumberland. Geranium sanguin ...

'' (bloody cranesbill) *'' Geranium subcaulescens'' (grey cranesbill) *''

Geranium sylvaticum ''Geranium sylvaticum'', the wood cranesbill or woodland geranium, is a species of hardy flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to Europe and northern Turkey. The Latin specific epithet ''sylvaticum'' means "of woodland", referring t ...

'' (wood cranesbill) All the above species are perennials and generally winter-hardy plants, grown for their attractive flowers and foliage. They are long-lived and most have a mounding habit, with palmately lobed foliage. Some species have spreading rhizomes. They are normally grown in part shade to full sun, in well-draining but moisture retentive soils, rich in

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

. Other perennial species grown for their flowers and foliage include: '' Geranium argenteum'', '' G. eriostemon'', '' G. farreri'', '' G. nodosum'', '' G. procurrens'', '' G. pylzowianum'', '' G. renardii'', '' G. traversii'', '' G. tuberosum'', '' G. versicolor'', '' G. wallichianum'' and '' G. wlassovianum''. Some of these are not winter-hardy in cold areas and are grown in specialized gardens like rock gardens. ''Geranium'' 'Johnson's Blue' is a hybrid between ''G. himalayense'' (southwestern China), with ''G. pratense'' (European meadow cranesbill).

Cultivars

The following hybrid

cultivars A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (No ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

(other cultivars are dealt with under their species name - see above):- *'Ann Folkard' *'A. T. Johnson' (''G.'' × ''oxonianum'') *'Ballerina' *'Blue Cloud' *='Blogold' (

PBR PBR may refer to: Science and technology * Passive bistatic radar * Partition boot record * Pebble bed reactor, a type of nuclear reactor * Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, another name for translocator protein * Phosphorus bromide * Photobior ...

) *'Brookside' *'Danny Boy' *'Dilys' *'Gypsy' (''G.'' × ''lindavicum'') *'Ivan' *'Mavis Simpson' *'Nimbus' *'Orion' *='Brempat' *='Gerfos' *='Gerwat' *'Russell Prichard' *'Sirak' *'Wageningen' *'Wargrave Pink' (''G.'' × ''oxonianum'')

Gallery

File:Geranium maculatum - wild cranesbill - desc-flower straight on.jpg, Pink Geranium Flower

Pink Geranium File:Pelargonium Flower 175816.jpg, Pink Wild Geranium File:Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum).jpg, ''

'' File:Illustration Geranium phaeum0.jpg, '' Geranium phaeum'' - from Thomé ''Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz'' 1885 File:Geranium platypetalum1.jpg, ''

'' File:Geranium sanguineum0.jpg, ''

'' File:Geranium pratense (Meadow Cranesbill).jpg, ''

'' (meadow cranesbill) File:Geranium-robertianum(Samen).jpg, ''

Geranium robertianum ''Geranium robertianum'', commonly known as herb-Robert, or (in North America) Roberts geranium, is a common species of cranesbill native to Europe and parts of Asia, and North Africa. The plant has many vernacular names, including red robin, d ...

'' (herb robert) File:GeraniumMaderense.jpg, ''

'' File:Wildgeranium.jpg, ''

'' File:Starr 980718-1820 Geranium arboreum.jpg, '' Geranium arboreum'' File:Płatek bodziszka.jpg, Geranium petal under the microscope

References

Bibliography

*
Genus ''Geranium'' in North America: the Perennials

External links

ITIS list of Geranium species

Geranium Taxonomic Information System

Preparing Geraniums for Winter
{{Authority control Geraniales genera Garden plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus