# Hedgerow Crane's-bill (*Geranium pyrenaicum*)

Hedgerow Crane's-bill is a lovely plant with pretty purple flowers. It grows in hedgerows and grassy places, making the world a little brighter with its colors!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Hedgerow Crane's-bill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Geranium_pyrenaicum1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Kurt Stüber \[1\], CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geranium_pyrenaicum1.jpg)

## Appearance

The Hedgerow Crane's-bill has small, cup-shaped flowers, typically purplish-pink with distinct darker veins radiating from the center. Its leaves are deeply lobed, resembling a hand, and grow on slender, often hairy stems. These characteristics help it stand out in shady, green environments.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Geraniales
- **Family:** Geraniaceae
- **Genus:** Geranium

## Interesting facts

- Its leafy clumps provide cozy shelter for tiny insects and small critters!
- Its long, pointed seed pods look just like a crane's beak, giving the plant its special name!
- The delicate flowers have tiny lines on petals guiding bees straight to nectar!
- This plant is so tough it can often be found growing right through cracks in pavement!

## Special abilities

- **Seed Shooter:** Hedgerow Crane's-bill can explosively disperse its seeds, helping them spread far from the parent plant.
- **Hairy Helper:** Hedgerow Crane's-bill has fine hairs on its stems and leaves that help protect it from harsh weather and thirsty pests.
- **Nectar Beacon:** Hedgerow Crane's-bill has bright flowers and sweet nectar that attract insects to help with pollination.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-70 cm
- **Spread:** 15-45 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1.5-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to autumn
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers to collect nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — An important pollinator, collecting nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** Grove snail (*Cepaea nemoralis*) — These snails feed on the leaves of the plant.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they're safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Hedgerow Crane's-bill?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Hedgerow Crane's-bill?

20-70 cm

### How wide does Hedgerow Crane's-bill spread?

15-45 cm

### How big are the flowers on Hedgerow Crane's-bill?

1.5-2.5 cm

### When does Hedgerow Crane's-bill bloom?

Late spring to autumn

### Is Hedgerow Crane's-bill edible?

No

### Is Hedgerow Crane's-bill toxic?

None

### What is Hedgerow Crane's-bill's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Hedgerow Crane's-bill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hedgerow-cranes-bill)