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Geranium maculatum
Wild geranium

Size: 18-24" high x 18" wide

Flowering time: May
Hardiness: zone 3b
Native range: North Dakota . Maine . Georgia . Oklahoma

Light:Full shade
Full sun
Moisture:Dry
Moist
Drainage:No drainage
Good drainage

Catalog code: 00B-0014
Category: Perennials

US nativeNaturalizingControls erosion

Geranium maculatum

©2007 Christopher P. Lindsey

I love this native geranium. To be honest, it's not as floriferous as some of the new cultivars that are out there. It may not be as bright either.

But when it blooms, I forget about the others. Ranging from pink to lilac, the 5-petaled flowers are the size of half-dollars, yet they look so graceful and dainty. Even the large, green, deeply lobed leaves arrange themselves so that they're charming and unobtrusive.

I suppose the best way to explain what I'm saying is that it bears a natural beauty. The other geraniums are all decked out in fancy gowns and makeup (well, not really, but you know what I mean) the wild geranium is still beautiful in its homespun dress.

For this reason it probably isn't the right plant for a formal border or a container planting, but it's perfect in a woodland setting. Plant it in average, moist soil in full sun to part shade and you'll be well rewarded with a spreading colony.

Pot size: 4.5"sq x 5.0" (1004 ml, or ~one quart).