Leaf
Paul Fabre, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Wood avens
Geum urbanum L.
Also known as: Herb bennet
Family: Rosaceae
20 to 50 cm tall
Hedgerows, shady woodland edges, rubble
Flowering: May – August
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to -15°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its hooked fruits cling to animals' coats to disperse its seeds, like a natural Velcro. Wood avens bears upright yellow flowers; water avens has nodding flowers, often brown-red or pinkish orange, and favours damper habitats.
🍃 Leaves
Compound, large terminal leaflet, smaller lateral leaflets
🌸 Flowers
Small, yellow, five petals, upright and barely open
🍎 Fruits
Small cluster of hooked achenes that cling to clothing and fur
🪵 Bark
Perennial herbaceous plant with upright stems, generally branched in the upper part.
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, western Asia; very common in hedges, woods and shady places in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Small inconspicuous yellow flowers visited by wild bees and small foraging insects.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Little grown as an ornamental, rather tolerated in a naturalistic woodland garden; hooked fruits dispersed by animals.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity; root traditionally used in herbal tea for its clove-like scent.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Wood avens
Geum urbanum
Water avens
Geum rivale
Wood avens bears upright yellow flowers; water avens has nodding flowers, often brown-red or pinkish orange, and favours damper habitats.
🌿 Other Rosaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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