# Wood Avens (*Geum urbanum*) Wood Avens is a lovely plant with bright yellow flowers. It grows in shady places like forests and is known for its sweet-smelling leaves. Kids love to discover it while exploring nature! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Herb Bennet ![Wood Avens](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Geum_urbanum_-_Habit.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Geum_urbanum_-_Habit.jpg) ## Appearance The Wood Avens has small, bright yellow, five-petaled flowers that often face downwards on slender stems. Its basal leaves are deeply lobed and crinkly, forming a rosette, while stem leaves are smaller and three-lobed. Its bristly seed-heads resemble tiny burrs. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Geum ## Interesting facts - If you sniff its crushed roots, they release a distinctive, spicy aroma. - Its roots were once used as a spice substitute for expensive cloves! - Medieval monks used Wood Avens to ward off evil spirits, believing it had magic powers! - This plant is also called 'Herb Bennet', a name from old European folklore. ## Special abilities - **Velcro Seeds:** Wood Avens has tiny hooks on its seeds that cling to animal fur, helping them travel far and wide for new homes. - **Spicy Roots:** Wood Avens can produce a fragrant oil in its roots that smells like cloves, often used to flavor drinks. - **Shade Survivor:** Wood Avens can grow happily in many shady spots, adapting well to different woodland and hedgerow conditions. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-75 cm - **Spread:** 30-45 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **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:** [Roe Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — Browses on its leaves. - **Eaten by:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Feeds on its foliage. ## 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. - [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. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [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. - [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. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before touching or tasting any plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Wood Avens? 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 Wood Avens? 30-75 cm ### How wide does Wood Avens spread? 30-45 cm ### How big are the flowers on Wood Avens? 1-2 cm ### When does Wood Avens bloom? Late spring to late summer ### Is Wood Avens edible? Yes ### Is Wood Avens toxic? None ### What is Wood Avens's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Wildpark Bruderhaus](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wildpark-bruderhaus) — Zurich, CH · Zoo - [Hofgarten Eremitage (Bayreuth)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hofgarten-eremitage-bayreuth) — Bayern, 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*) --- Source: [Wood Avens: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wood-avens)