# Redstem Stork's-bill (*Erodium cicutarium*) Redstem Stork's-bill is a small plant with pretty pink flowers. It grows close to the ground and can be found in many places, making it a friendly sight in nature. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 27 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Redstem Stork's-bill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Erodium_cicutarium_flowers_-_Keila.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erodium_cicutarium_flowers_-_Keila.jpg) ## Appearance The Redstem Stork's-bill has distinctive reddish stems and fern-like leaves, deeply divided and often hairy. Its small, five-petaled flowers are usually pale pink or purplish, standing out against its low-growing foliage. The plant's most unique visual feature is its long, slender, stork's-bill shaped seed pod. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Geraniales - **Family:** Geraniaceae - **Genus:** Erodium ## Interesting facts - It's sometimes called 'filaree' from an Arabic word meaning 'thread-like' for its stems! - Its name 'stork's-bill' comes from its long, beak-like seed pod! - This adaptable plant can bloom almost any time of year in warmer climates! - Young Redstem Stork's-bill leaves are edible and taste like mild parsley or celery. ## Special abilities - **Seed Driller:** Redstem Stork's-bill has spiral seeds that can twist and 'drill' themselves into the soil for planting, especially after rain. - **Humidity Sensor:** The dried 'stork's bill' part of its fruit reacts to humidity, twisting to help fling seeds further away. - **Tough Survivor:** It can grow in very poor, dry soils where many other plants struggle, thanks to its resilient root system. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-50 cm - **Spread:** 10-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to Fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Helps spread pollen between flowers. - **Eaten by:** [European hare](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-hare) (*Lepus europaeus*) — Young leaves and stems are a food source. - **Eaten by:** Domestic sheep (*Ovis aries*) — Often grazed by livestock in pastures. - **Eats:** Cotton aphid (*Aphis gossypii*) — Sucks sap from stems and leaves. ## Traits - [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. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [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 look but don’t touch plants without asking an adult, just to be safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Redstem 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 Redstem Stork's-bill? 5-50 cm ### How wide does Redstem Stork's-bill spread? 10-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Redstem Stork's-bill? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Redstem Stork's-bill bloom? Spring to Fall ### Is Redstem Stork's-bill edible? Yes ### Is Redstem Stork's-bill toxic? None ### What is Redstem Stork's-bill's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Clayton Public Schools Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clayton-public-schools-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [North Entrance Road Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/north-entrance-road-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Thurber](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/thurber) — Texas, US · Neighborhood - [Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-aquarium-and-exhibition-center-new-york) — New York, US · Zoo - [Navajo Nation Zoological and Botanical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/navajo-nation-zoological-and-botanical-park) — Arizona, US · Zoo - [ZooMontana](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoomontana) — Montana, US · Zoo [View all places to see Redstem Stork's-bill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/redstem-storks-bill) ## 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*) --- Source: [Redstem Stork's-bill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/redstem-storks-bill)