# Long-stalked Crane's-bill (*Geranium columbinum*)

The Long-stalked Crane's-bill is a pretty flower with delicate petals that can be pink or purple. It grows tall on slender stems and is often found in grassy places, making it a lovely sight in nature.

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

![Long-stalked Crane's-bill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Geraniaceae_-_Geranium_columbinum-1.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Hectonichus, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geraniaceae_-_Geranium_columbinum-1.JPG)

## Appearance

The Long-stalked Crane's-bill has slender, sprawling stems and deeply lobed leaves that resemble a bird's foot. Its delicate purplish-pink flowers feature five petals, often with darker veins, creating a star-like appearance against the green foliage.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- It can grow in tiny cracks in pavements, showing just how tough and adaptable it is!
- Its seed capsule splits into five parts that really look like a crane's head and beak!
- Its tiny flowers often have bright, glowing pink or purple hues to attract hungry bees.
- This plant is sometimes called 'Dove's-foot Crane's-bill' because of its leaf shape.

## Special abilities

- **Seed Catapult:** Long-stalked Crane's-bill can launch its seeds with a spring-like mechanism, helping them spread far from the parent plant.
- **Water-Shedding Leaves:** Long-stalked Crane's-bill has deeply divided leaves that help shed water quickly, preventing fungal growth and rot.
- **Resilient Roots:** Long-stalked Crane's-bill has a tough root system that helps it thrive even in thin or disturbed soils.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-60 cm
- **Spread:** 15-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — visits flowers for sweet nectar
- **Eaten by:** Grey field slug (*Deroceras reticulatum*) — grazes on leaves and young stems

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Fall Color](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fall-color): Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues.
- [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.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch wild plants unless a grown-up says it's okay.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Long-stalked 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 Long-stalked Crane's-bill?

20-60 cm

### How wide does Long-stalked Crane's-bill spread?

15-40 cm

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

1-2 cm

### When does Long-stalked Crane's-bill bloom?

Late spring to late summer

### Is Long-stalked Crane's-bill edible?

No

### Is Long-stalked Crane's-bill toxic?

None

### What is Long-stalked Crane's-bill's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Mount Pisgah Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-pisgah-arboretum) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden

## 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: [Long-stalked Crane's-bill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/long-stalked-cranes-bill)