Geranium sylvaticum

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Geranium sylvaticum
Geranium sylvaticum (1).JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Geraniales
Family: Geraniaceae
Genus: Geranium
Species:
G. sylvaticum
Binomial name
Geranium sylvaticum
L.

Geranium sylvaticum, the wood cranesbill or woodland geranium, is a species of hardy flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to Europe and northern Turkey.

Contents

The Latin specific epithet sylvaticum means "of woodland", referring to the plant's native habitat, as does its common name "wood cranesbill".

Description

The plant grows to 75 cm (30 in) tall by 60 cm (24 in) wide, it is a mound-forming herbaceous, gynodioecious [1] perennial with deeply cut and toothed 7-lobed basal leaves. [2] In summer, flowers are borne on stalks with ruffs of leaves. The flower colour ranges from mauve to sky blue, depending on soil conditions. [3] It has 10 stamens and glandular-hairy fruits. [4]

Cultivation

Flower detail Geranium sylvaticum (2).JPG
Flower detail

G. sylvaticum is one of many Geranium species which are valued in gardens. It is suitable for cultivation in temperate climates in reliably moist, lightly shaded positions, as the name suggests. It is particularly useful for underplanting deciduous trees, roses, lilies, and other summer-flowering subjects. Various cultivars have been selected, of which 'Album' [5] and 'Mayflower' [6] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [7]

Uses and traditions

It is the city flower of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. [8]

The flowers yield a blue-gray dye that was used in ancient Europe to dye war cloaks, believing it would protect them in battle. For this reason it was called Odin's Grace. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Geranium</i> Genus of flowering plants

Geranium is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, with the greatest diversity in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region.

<i>Geranium cinereum</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium cinereum, the ashy cranesbill, is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to the Pyrenees. Growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall and wide, it is a small, deciduous or semi-evergreen perennial usually grown for low ground cover, rockeries or underplanting larger subjects like roses. Leaves are deeply divided and grey-green – whence the Latin specific epithet cinereum "ash-grey". It flowers in summer, with striking black-eyed flowers with black stamens. The plant grows in full sunlight, and is hardy down to −15 °C (5 °F).

<i>Geranium maderense</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium maderense, known as giant herb-Robert or the Madeira cranesbill, is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to the island of Madeira. It is sometimes confused with another Madeira endemic, Geranium palmatum.

<i>Geranium <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> magnificum</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium × magnificum, the purple cranesbill, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Geranium, family Geraniaceae. The multiplication symbol × indicates that it is the result of hybridisation, in this case between Geranium platypetalum and Geranium ibericum. Growing into a clump 70 cm (28 in) high and broad, it has the decorative, deeply-lobed leaves typical of the genus Geranium. Violet-blue flowers with darker veins are borne relatively briefly in early summer. Extremely hardy, to below −20 °C (−4 °F), it is suitable for cultivation throughout all temperate regions. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Lonicera periclymenum</i> Species of plant

Lonicera periclymenum, common names honeysuckle, common honeysuckle, European honeysuckle, or woodbine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae native to much of Europe, North Africa, Turkey and the Caucasus. It is found as far north as southern Norway, Sweden and Finland.

<i>Erica vagans</i> Species of flowering plant

Erica vagans, the Cornish heath or wandering heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to Ireland, Cornwall, western France and Spain. It is a vigorous, spreading, evergreen heather reaching 75 cm (30 in) tall and wide, with pink flowers borne in racemes 14 cm (6 in) long in summer and autumn. The Latin specific epithet vagans literally means "wandering"; in this context it means "widely distributed".

<i>Ilex aquifolium</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Aquifoliaceae

Ilex aquifolium, the holly, common holly, English holly, European holly, or occasionally Christmas holly, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aquifoliaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia. It is regarded as the type species of the genus Ilex, which by association is also called "holly". It is an evergreen tree or shrub found, for example, in shady areas of forests of oak and in beech hedges. In the British Isles it is one of very few native hardwood evergreen trees. It has a great capacity to adapt to different conditions and is a pioneer species that repopulates the margins of forests or clearcuts.

<i>Geranium sanguineum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae

Geranium sanguineum, common names bloody crane's-bill or bloody geranium, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the cranesbill family Geraniaceae. It is the county flower of Northumberland.

<i>Geranium maculatum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae

Geranium maculatum, the wild geranium, spotted geranium, or wood geranium, is a perennial plant native to woodland in eastern North America, from southern Manitoba and southwestern Quebec south to Alabama and Georgia and west to Oklahoma and South Dakota.

<i>Myosotis sylvatica</i> Species of flowering plant in the borage family Boraginaceae

Myosotis sylvatica, the wood forget-me-not or woodland forget-me-not, is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, native to Europe. This spring-flowering plant and its cultivars, typically with blue flowers, are the familiar forget-me-nots of gardens.

<i>Phlox divaricata</i> Species of flowering plant

Phlox divaricata, the wild blue phlox, woodland phlox, or wild sweet william, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polemoniaceae, native to forests and fields in eastern North America.

<i>Anemone hepatica</i> Species of flowering plant

Anemone hepatica, the common hepatica, liverwort, liverleaf, kidneywort, or pennywort, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. This herbaceous perennial grows from a rhizome.

<i>Geranium pratense</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium pratense, the meadow crane's-bill or meadow geranium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to Europe and Asia. 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.

<i>Lathyrus vernus</i> Species of legume

Lathyrus vernus, the spring vetchling, spring pea, or spring vetch, is a species of flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Lathyrus, native to forests of Europe and Siberia. It forms a dense clump of pointed leaves with purple flowers in spring, shading to a greenish-blue with age.

<i>Geranium dalmaticum</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium dalmaticum, commonly called Dalmatian cranesbill, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Geranium of the family Geraniaceae. It is native to Dalmatia on the west coast of Croatia. Growing to only 10 cm (3.9 in) tall by up to 50 cm (20 in) broad, it is cultivated as a garden subject in temperate regions for its low mound of aromatic leaves and soft mauve colored flowers. The palmately lobed glossy green leaves are tinted red in the Autumn. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Geranium endressii</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium endressii, commonly called Endres cranesbill or French crane's-bill, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous or semi-evergreen perennial plant in the genus Geranium, family Geraniaceae.

<i>Geranium psilostemon</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium psilostemon, commonly called Armenian cranesbill, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Geranium, family Geraniaceae. It is native to Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation. Forming a large clump to 120 cm (47 in) tall, it has glowing reddish purple colored flowers with prominent dark centres, and divided leaves tinted red in Autumn. It is cultivated as a garden subject, and a number of different cultivars exist. G. psilostemon has the UK’s hardiest rating, surviving temperatures as low as −20 °C (−4 °F).

<i>Geranium subcaulescens</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium subcaulescens is a species of flowering plant in the geranium family Geraniaceae, that is native to Italy, Turkey and the Balkans. A low, mounded evergreen perennial, it typically grows to 8 in (20 cm) tall by more than 11 in (28 cm) broad, with grey-green orbicular and lobed leaves, and masses of bright magenta pink flowers with black centres in summer.

<i>Scilla bifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Scilla bifolia, the alpine squill or two-leaf squill, is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from an underground bulb, belonging to the genus Scilla of the family Asparagaceae.

<i>Geranium renardii</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium renardii is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Geranium, in the family Geraniaceae. It is native to the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia. Growing to 30 cm (12 in) tall and broad, it has palmate leaves and pale pink flowers striped violet. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It grows well in sunny positions or shade both and well drained soils.

References

  1. Elzinga, J.A., and Varga, S. 2017. Prolonged stigma and flower lifespan in females of the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum. Flora 226:72-81
  2. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  3. Marjorie Blamey and Richard Fitter, Collins Handguide to Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe, William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., London, 1979
  4. Webb, D.A. Parnell, J. and Doogue, D. 1996. An Irish Flora. Dundalgan Press Ltd, Dundalk ISBN   0-85221-131-7
  5. "RHS Plant Selector - Geranium sylvaticum 'Album'" . Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  6. "RHS Plant Selector - Geranium sylvaticum 'Mayflower'" . Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 42. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  8. Plantlife website County Flowers page Archived 2015-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Hilderic Friend, Flower Lore, Para Research, Inc., Rockport, Massachusetts 1981.