Geranium
Geranium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Geraniaceae, commonly called geraniums or cranesbills.
Geranium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Geraniaceae, commonly called cranesbills. It includes about 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial herbs found mainly in temperate regions.
What it is
Geranium species are herbaceous plants with distinctive beak-like fruit structures that give them the common name cranesbills. They are true geraniums, separate from the garden plants often sold as geraniums, which belong to the related genus Pelargonium.
Where it grows
The genus occurs worldwide in temperate regions and in tropical mountain areas, with the highest species diversity in the eastern Mediterranean. In Canada, native species such as Geranium maculatum are found in eastern North America.
Common confusion
In gardening, the word geranium often refers to Pelargonium species used in bedding and containers. Botanically, Geranium and Pelargonium are distinct genera, so the plants in your garden pots are likely not true geraniums.
In short
- Geranium is a genus of about 422 species in the family Geraniaceae.
- True geraniums are called cranesbills for their beak-like fruit.
- Garden geraniums are usually Pelargonium, not Geranium.
- Canadian native species include Geranium maculatum in eastern regions.
Several Geranium species occur in North America, including species native to Canada such as Geranium maculatum in eastern North America; the genus is also of interest to Canadian gardeners and native-plant enthusiasts.
Quick questions
What is Geranium?
Are garden geraniums the same as Geranium?
Why are they called cranesbills?
Sources
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeraniumSupports: Genus size, common names, distribution
- Native Plant Trust — https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/dkey/geranium/Supports: Fruit and floral morphology of Geranium
- U.S. Forest Service — https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/geranium_maculatum.shtmlSupports: Family distinction and relation to Pelargonium
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/plant/geranium-plant-genus-GeraniumSupports: Genus overview, species count, distinction from Pelargonium
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension — https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/wild-geranium-geranium-maculatum/Supports: North American distribution of a Geranium species