This plant needs no introduction. Geranium maculatum does not look that different from the common garden geranium variety, but this species is native to eastern North America. It grows in dry to moist woods and purportedly can get abundant after a few years. I have only two of these plants, but I’ve seen them take up a lot of real estate at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster. Only time will tell if they will spread in my garden. This perennial can grow up to 2 feet tall, and is flowering from spring to early summer. The leaves are palmately lobed and are a greyish-bluesh green. Spotted geranium will go dormant later in the summer after the seed has been dispersed.
A display of spotted geranium at the Museum of Natural History
| Scientific name: | Geranium maculatum |
| Common name: | spotted geranium |
| Other name: | cranesbill, wild geranium, crow foot, dove’s foot, alum root |
| Bloom time: | late spring to mid summer |
| Color: | pale pink, pink, violet/lavender |
| Light requirements: | sun to partial shade |
| Zone: | 3 to 8 |
| Soil: | mildly acidic to mildly alkaline |
| Water: | average water needs |
| Origin: | eastern North America |
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