May’s Calendar Flower - Wild Geranium

Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum, by George F. Anderson

We are almost to the end of May and I’ve forgotten to write about the sweet Wild Geranium! With a little less than a week to go, here’s a bit about this spring woodland flower.

George probably took this Wild Geranium’s portrait in the spring of 1983, in the woods of Massachusetts, on a visit to my family in Cambridge.

This spring I’ve taken a few photos of Wild Geranium on my walks through the Morton Arboretum woodlands. These pix give a view of the whole plant.

One of the common names for this flower is “Cranesbill”, which comes from the Greek word, geranos, meaning, crane. The styles on the Geranium are elongated and resemble a crane’s bill.

The Wild Geranium was used for various medicinal purposed by indigenous peoples, and now in alternative medicines. The roots contain tannins that are astringents, helping in contracting tissues, stopping bleeding, and nerve issues. Mixtures with geranium have been taken internally to help gastrointestinal disorders, and used externally in eyewashes.

So many benefits derived from wild plants!

Like all spring ephemeral flowers, the Wild Geranium puts forth its flowers early before the canopy of trees has fully leafed-out. The flowers will be pollinated, producing seeds, then it will die back, waiting for next spring.