How do you recognise Meadow cranesbill (Geranium pratense)?

Leaf

Marie Portas, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0

Meadow cranesbill

Geranium pratense L.

Family: Geraniaceae

30 to 80 cm tall

Meadows, gardens, banks, cool, rich soils

Flowering: June – September

Full sun

Part shade

Hardy to -30°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

Its large blue-violet flowers with prominent veins make it one of the most sought-after perennial geraniums for borders. Wood cranesbill is smaller, with pale blue-violet flowers and slender, drooping stems, whereas meadow cranesbill has larger flowers in a stronger blue-violet, borne on upright stems in a clump.

🍃 Leaves

Deeply cut into 7 toothed lobes, bright green

🌸 Flowers

Large blue-violet flowers with prominent veins

🍎 Fruits

Elongated beaked fruits characteristic of the genus

🪵 Bark

Upright clump, hairy stems

🗺️ Distribution

Europe, temperate Asia; common in cool meadows and on banks in France.

🐝 Value for pollinators

Large blue-violet flowers, very honey-rich, attractive to bees and bumblebees in summer.

✂️ Horticultural uses

Perennial borders, flower meadows, edgings; one of the most free-flowering perennial geraniums.

⚠️ Possible toxicity

No known toxicity.

⚠️ Look-alike species

Meadow cranesbill

Geranium pratense

Wood cranesbill

Geranium sylvaticum

Wood cranesbill is smaller, with pale blue-violet flowers and slender, drooping stems, whereas meadow cranesbill has larger flowers in a stronger blue-violet, borne on upright stems in a clump.

🌿 Other Geraniaceae to discover

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.