# Meadow Crane's-bill (*Geranium pratense*)

Meadow Crane's-bill is a pretty flower that blooms in blue and purple colors. It grows in sunny meadows and is loved by butterflies and bees!

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

![Meadow Crane's-bill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/00_1916_Bl%C3%BCten_und_Fr%C3%BCchte_des_Wiesen-Storchschnabel.jpg&width=800)

Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:00_1916_Bl%C3%BCten_und_Fr%C3%BCchte_des_Wiesen-Storchschnabel.jpg)

## Appearance

The Meadow Crane's-bill has vibrant blue-purple flowers with five distinct petals and darker veins. Its deeply lobed leaves are shaped like a hand. After flowering, it develops long, pointed seed pods resembling a crane's bill.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Each flower has ten tiny nectar glands, a feast for hungry insects!
- It can live for over 10 years, returning bigger and brighter each spring!
- Its unique seed pods spring open to launch seeds up to several feet away!
- The leaves can turn a beautiful reddish-purple as summer ends.

## Special abilities

- **Seed Flinger:** Meadow Crane's-bill can forcibly eject its seeds, helping them spread far from the parent plant.
- **Nectar Guides:** It has dark lines on its petals that guide insects directly to its pollen and nectar rewards.
- **Drought Anchor:** Meadow Crane's-bill has a deep taproot that helps it find water and survive dry periods.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-80 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 3-4 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — attracted by nectar
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — collects pollen and nectar
- **Eaten by:** [Red Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-deer) (*Cervus elaphus*) — grazes on foliage
- **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — feeds on leaves and petals

## 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.
- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [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.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick flowers without asking an adult first, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy.

## Frequently Asked Questions

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

30-80 cm

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

30-60 cm

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

3-4 cm

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

Summer

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

Yes

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

None

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

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Zoologická zahrada Děčín - Pastýřská stěna](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoologick-zahrada-d-n-past-sk-st-na) — Ústí nad Labem Region, CZ · Zoo
- [Naturpark Saar-Hunsrück](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-saar-hunsruck) — Rheinland-Pfalz; Saarland, DE · Park

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