Geranium pratense
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Geranium pratense, the meadow crane's-bill[1] or meadow geranium,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to Europe and Asia.[3] Forming a clump up to 1 m (3.3 ft) broad, it is a herbaceous perennial with hairy stems and lax saucer-shaped blooms of pale violet. It is extremely hardy to at least −20 °C (−4 °F), reflecting its origins in the Altai Mountains of central Asia.[4]
| Geranium pratense | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Geraniales |
| Family: | Geraniaceae |
| Genus: | Geranium |
| Species: | G. pratense |
| Binomial name | |
| Geranium pratense | |
Description
The leaves are deeply divided into 7-9 lobes and 3-6 inch wide and the flowers are pale blue, although getting paler into the centre. The flowers have 5 petals, which sometimes have veins. The stamens have pink-purple stalks with dark purple anthers.
Flower
Buds
Leaf
Cultivars
Several cultivars are available for garden use, of which 'Mrs Kendall Clark'[5] and 'Plenum Violaceum'[6] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[7]
'Mrs Kendal Clark'
Uses
Geranium pratense is a melliferous herb. Its nectar secretion is 1.3 – 1.5 mg/24 hrs. with a sugar content (sugar concentration) of 57 – 71 %.[8]
