Eggarton Cottages, Eggarton Lane, Godmersham, Kent, CT4 7DY
Tel/Fax: 01227 730242
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Perennial wildflower. Member of the Cranesbill family. Pretty, frondy leaves and pretty, wide-open, cup-shaped purple flowers from June to September. Veins on the petals guide bees to the nectar. Food plant of the Brown Argus butterfly. Grows to about 2 ft (60 cm). Name comes from the Greek "geranus" meaning crane - due to the cranesbill-shaped seedheads.
Fresh leaves were used traditionally to stop bleeding if pressed against a wound. Hundreds of years ago, the flowers were used in Iceland to make a blueish-grey dye. Leaves turn red in autumn.
Rare in the wild but where it does grow will tend to be in rough grass. Ideal plant for damp areas and pond edges. Food plant of the Northern Brown Argus butterfly.
Plant in full sun or light shade in well-drained soil. If the shade is too deep, the plant will grow "leggy".
Spreads well if the soil is good. Will sometimes give two flushes of flowers during summer.
*This sheet is provided for information only and is in no way a prescription for use. Please seek the advice of a qualified herbalist before using*