# wood crane's-bill (*Geranium sylvaticum*)

Wood crane's-bill is a pretty flower with delicate purple petals. It grows in shady places and is loved by butterflies and bees. This flower adds beauty to forests and meadows!

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

![wood crane's-bill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Geranium_sylvaticum_%281%29.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Philipp Weigell, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geranium_sylvaticum_%281%29.JPG)

## Appearance

The wood crane's-bill has vibrant blue-purple, cup-shaped flowers with five petals, often displaying distinct darker veins. Its leaves are deeply lobed and toothed, creating a lush, lacy appearance in dense green clumps.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- If you gently rub its leaves, you might notice a faint, pleasant scent!
- Its five-petaled flowers often have delicate veins that act like landing strips for insects!
- Some parts of the wood crane's-bill were once used in traditional medicine for healing.
- The plant's fresh leaves can be eaten raw in salads, adding a slightly bitter taste.

## Special abilities

- **Seed Flinger:** Wood crane's-bill can launch its seeds away by rapidly coiling its dried 'crane's bill' parts, helping it spread.
- **Shade Seeker:** Wood crane's-bill has broad leaves and can thrive in dappled light, soaking up sunshine even in shady forests.
- **Nectar Beacon:** Wood crane's-bill has special petal patterns that glow in UV light, guiding helpful insects to its sweet nectar.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-80 cm
- **Spread:** 30-50 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Eats:** [Black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — feeds on the plant's leaves
- **Pollinates:** Small white butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — adults visit flowers for nectar

## Traits

- [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.
- [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.
- [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 look but don't touch flowers in the wild, as some can be delicate.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify wood 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 wood crane's-bill?

30-80 cm

### How wide does wood crane's-bill spread?

30-50 cm

### How big are the flowers on wood crane's-bill?

2-3 cm

### When does wood crane's-bill bloom?

Late spring to mid-summer

### Is wood crane's-bill edible?

Yes

### Is wood crane's-bill toxic?

None

### What is wood crane's-bill's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Harz Nature Park (Lower Saxony)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harz-nature-park-lower-saxony) — Niedersachsen, 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: [Wood Crane's-bill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wood-cranes-bill)