# Shining Crane's-bill (*Geranium lucidum*) The Shining Crane's-bill is a lovely little plant with bright green leaves and pretty flowers. It loves to grow in sunny spots and can often be found in gardens and meadows. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Shining Crane's-bill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Geranium_lucidum0.jpg&width=800) Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Aroche assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geranium_lucidum0.jpg) ## Appearance The Shining Crane's-bill has distinctive, glossy, deep green leaves often tinged with vibrant red. Its small, five-petaled flowers are bright pink to purplish-red, appearing singly or in pairs. The slender stems are frequently reddish, making it stand out. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Geraniales - **Family:** Geraniaceae - **Genus:** Geranium ## Interesting facts - It often turns fiery red in autumn or bright sun, putting on a colorful show. - Its unique fruit looks just like a tiny bird's beak, hence its quirky name! - Some people call it a 'sticky geranium' because its stems feel slightly fuzzy. - This plant can grow in cracks of walls and rocks, seemingly without much soil! ## Special abilities - **Seed Flinger:** Shining Crane's-bill has a 'crane's beak' fruit that explosively flings seeds far away for dispersal. - **Shiny Sun Shield:** Its incredibly glossy leaves help reflect harsh sunlight, protecting the plant from drying out and overheating. - **Red Defender:** The plant can turn its leaves and stems bright red, which acts like a natural sunscreen against intense light. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-40 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring-early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **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, attracted to its pink blooms. - **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Snails often graze on its leaves and stems. - **Eaten by:** Spanish Slug (*Arion vulgaris*) — Slugs can feed on its foliage, especially young plants. ## 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. - [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. - [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. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## 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. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Shining 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 Shining Crane's-bill? 10-40 cm ### How wide does Shining Crane's-bill spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Shining Crane's-bill? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Shining Crane's-bill bloom? Spring-early summer ### Is Shining Crane's-bill edible? No ### Is Shining Crane's-bill toxic? None ### What is Shining Crane's-bill's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Santiam State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/santiam-state-forest) — Oregon, US · Forest - [Bush's Pasture Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bushs-pasture-park) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crystal-springs-rhododendron-garden) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Leach Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/leach-botanical-garden) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Martha Springer Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/martha-springer-botanical-garden) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Shining Crane's-bill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/shining-cranes-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: [Shining Crane's-bill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shining-cranes-bill)