# musk stork's-bill (*Erodium moschatum*)

The musk stork's-bill is a lovely little plant with soft leaves and pretty flowers. It grows close to the ground and can often be found in gardens and fields.

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

![musk stork's-bill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Erodium_moschatum-2.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Eugene Zelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erodium_moschatum-2.jpg)

## Appearance

The musk stork's-bill has reddish stems and deeply cut, fern-like leaves that often lie flat. Its small, five-petaled flowers are typically pale pink to purplish-pink. The most distinctive feature is its long, slender fruit resembling a stork's bill.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Its seeds have a tiny 'tail' that drills them right into the soil!
- People sometimes eat its young leaves in salads – they're tasty!
- The plant's long seed pod looks exactly like a stork's beak!
- This hardy plant can even grow between cracks in pavements!

## Special abilities

- **Seed Flinger:** Musk stork's-bill has a clever coiled 'stork's bill' seed pod that twists to flick seeds away, helping it spread far.
- **Tough Survivor:** Musk stork's-bill can thrive in disturbed soils and challenging environments, allowing it to grow almost anywhere.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-50 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring_to_fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Eaten by:** [European rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — grazes on its leaves

## Traits

- [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
- [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.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [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 wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify musk stork'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 musk stork's-bill?

10-50 cm

### How big are the flowers on musk stork's-bill?

1-2 cm

### When does musk stork's-bill bloom?

Spring_to_fall

### Is musk stork's-bill edible?

Yes

### Is musk stork's-bill toxic?

None

### What is musk stork's-bill's lifecycle?

Annual

### How is musk stork's-bill pollinated?

Insect

## Where to spot

- [Locke](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/locke) — California, US · Historic District
- [Colman Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colman-park) — Washington, US · 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: [Musk Stork's-bill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/musk-storks-bill)