Dusky cranesbill or Wood cranesbill: how to tell them apart?
Dusky cranesbill and Wood cranesbill look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Dusky cranesbill
Geranium phaeum
Wood cranesbill
Geranium sylvaticum
Before flowering, the broadly lobed, toothed leaves look very similar in the two species, in woodland as in the garden. The flower tells them apart at once: dark brown-purple with petals reflexed backwards in dusky cranesbill, against blue-violet with a white centre in wood cranesbill.
🍃 Leaves
Broad, cut into toothed lobes, sometimes blotched with brown
Deeply cut into toothed lobes, bright green
🌸 Flowers
Small dark brown-purple flowers with reflexed petals
Violet-blue flowers with a white centre, veined
🍎 Fruits
Fruits with an elongated beak
Fruits with an elongated beak
🪵 Bark
Upright clump, hairy stems
Upright clump, hairy stems
📏 Size
30 to 60 cm tall
30 to 60 cm tall
🗺️ Habitat
Woodland, shady gardens, cool soils
Open woodland, gardens, cool meadows
⚠️ Toxicity
No known toxicity.
No known toxicity.
🔎 And from the Wood cranesbill side
Before flowering, the broadly lobed, toothed leaves look very similar in the two species, in woodland as in the garden. The flower tells them apart at once: blue-violet with a white centre in wood cranesbill, against dark brown-purple with petals reflexed backwards in dusky cranesbill.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.