Geranium sylvaticum - Wood Cranesbill

Family:	Geraniaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	1
Width:	0.6
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain from the Arctic to Spain east to the Caucasus and Siberia.

Geranium sylvaticum (Wood Cranesbill) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 1m and a width of 0.6m . It has a hardness rating of 4and is vunerable to frost.
Wood Cranesbill will flower in December to January. The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees, flies, lepidoptera

Soil Information

Wood Cranesbill will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Wood Cranesbill prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Wood Cranesbill can grow in full, semi shaded areas and areas with no shade.

Meadows, hedgebanks, damp woods and mountain rock ledges.

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge
• Is suited to a deeply shaded location
• Can spread to cover ground and will out compete weeds
• Suits a meadow
• Will grow in a hedge row

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in any moderately fertile retentive soil in sun or shade[200].Tolerant of a wide range of soil types and of shade[1]. Plants can be naturalized in meadows[200]. A very cold-tolerant species. tolerating temperatures down to at least -25°c[187]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[233]. Often self sows freely[197].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 0/5
None known

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 0/5
None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring or autumn. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

A blue dye is obtained from the flowers[46, 61]. It is violet[115]. Fugitive[115]. A useful and dense ground cover plant, succeeding in deep shade[197]. It needs weeding for the first year or so[197]. Plants should be spaced about 60cm apart each way[208].

• Dye - Plants that provide dyes.
• Ground cover - Usually low growing plants that can be grown with other plants, especially shrubs and trees, to prevent the growth of weeds.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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