Wild Geranium – Espresso (Geranium maculatum)

Showy, five-petaled flowers, color ranges from pink to white to lavender, occur at the top of leafy, 1-3 ft. stem. flowers are in loose clusters of 2-5 at the ends of branches above a pair of deeply 5-lobed leaves. Spring bloom. Deadheading will prolong bloom. It colonizes by thick rhizomes but is not aggressive. Also called Spotted Geranium and Cranesbill.

Native habitat is dry or moist woods; woodland edges; dappled meadows. Native range: Eastern US and Canada

Grows in  to partial sunlight, light shade. Prefers moist, rich, loamy soil with abundant organic matter. This plant also tolerates full sunlight if there is sufficient moisture in the soil. It is one of the easier woodland species to cultivate. Special Value to Native Bees Special Value to Bumble Bees

Why is it called Cranes bill? Each seed is packed into a pod and the pods are attached to a structure that resembles a crane’s bill.  As the bill dries, it literally catapults the seeds away from the parent plant .  Each seed has a small tail-like structure attached to it that bends and moves in response to changes in humidity, which helps to drive the seed into the soil where it can safely germinate.