Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium)

A dependable, long-lived groundcover for the woodland garden, wild geranium provides genuine year-round foliage interest and confirmed larval host value for two named moth species - though its deer resistance is more mixed than many woodland natives, with flowers sometimes browsed.

Species Overview

Geranium maculatum, commonly known as spotted Geranium or Cranesbill, is a clump-forming perennial native to eastern North America. It belongs to the Geraniaceae family and is commonly found in woodlands, meadows, and shaded roadsides. This plant features deeply lobed, green leaves and delicate, five-petaled lavender to pink flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer, an important nectar source for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Application

• Woodland groundcover and shade garden plantings
• Rain garden and moist pond-edge plantings
• Larval host habitat for the leaf mining moth and White-Marked Tussock moth
• Naturalized understory plantings, particularly in dappled shade

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Part Shade to Full Shade - tolerates full sun with consistent moisture
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Moist, well-drained, acidic soils; also tolerates clay loam and sandy clay loam
• Plant Type: Forb
• Mature Height: 1-2 ft.
• Fall Color: Red
• Bloom Color / Period: Purple; May-June
• Wetland Indicator Status: FACU (Facultative Upland, regional source) - see flags
• Native Range: Quebec and Manitoba south to the Florida panhandle and Louisiana
• Hydrology: Mesic-Moist
• Root Depth: Shallow (Under 12 in.)
• Salinity Tolerance: Low
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Drought Tolerance: Low
• Flood Tolerance: Low - A moist-woodland species, not a wetland obligate; not documented as flood tolerant.
• Shade Tolerance: Tolerant
• Growth Habit: Clumping/Mounding
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Deer Resistance: Some - see flags
• Pollinator Value: Larval host, supports bees, supports butterflies, supports moths

Planting Guidance

• Do not cut back after flowering - the curled stamens and unique seed heads (the source of the "cranesbill" common name) provide continued visual interest.