Grow Geranium maculatum, or Wild Geranium, for Its Spring Flowers and Rugged Health
This native perennial brightens shade gardens with its long-lasting spring flowers and makes a good partner for later-developing plants.
A native plant of eastern North America, wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) is a pollinator-friendly spring bloomer that contributes pink-purple flower color, leafy texture and weed suppression to woodland gardens.
Common name: Wild geranium, spotted geranium
Botanical name: Geranium maculatum
Origin: Geranium maculatum is native across much of the eastern half of North America, from central and eastern Canada as far south as Arkansas and Georgia. It grows naturally in woodland edges and openings and within dry or moist woods.
Flowers: Wild geranium blooms in mid- to late spring and sometimes into early summer, with five-petaled pale purple or light pink flowers appearing in clusters atop airy, branching stems. The flowers stand above the foliage. Cool weather will extend the bloom time. This geranium appeals to native bees, honey bees and other pollinators.
Foliage: Maple-like in shape, the leaves are medium green and dense enough to shade the soil beneath them, discouraging weeds from developing. The leaves can develop brown spots or show other signs of stress in summer heat and drought, but this is not a cause for concern over the plant's overall health.
Related: For a geranium to grow for its foliage, see 'Snowflake' geranium.
Size and habit: Spotted geranium is an herbaceous perennial that resumes growth in early spring and falls dormant in autumn (or earlier in very dry summers). Individual plants reach about a foot tall and wide in leaf. Flowers add six to twelve inches to the plant's height. This species spreads by rhizomes (underground stems) to make a colony, but it is not considered an aggressive spreader.
Growing Geranium maculatum
Exposure: Part shade to shade
How to grow it: Geranium maculatum is an adaptable species that succeeds in dry or moist soil and part shade, all-day dappled light or full shade. Flowering will be heavier with more sunlight, but this may also demand more watering.
Wild geranium prefers moist conditions, but once established it tolerates dry spells. Extended drought may cause it to go dormant before the end of summer. It can be expected to return the following spring.
Pair Geranium maculatum with companions that remain appealing in late summer to compensate for any summer leaf decline. Options include wood aster (Eurybia divaricata), sedges (Carex), ferns, hardy begonia and other shade-garden staples such as hosta.
Spotted geranium's natural woodland habitat provides rich soil; create similar soil conditions by mulching with fallen leaves and other garden debris. Propagate by transplanting root divisions any time the plant is dormant and the soil is workable (early spring, late summer or early fall). USDA Zones 3–8.
Image credit: Plant Image Library/CC BY-SA 2.0
