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Geranium wlassovianum |
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| Common name |
Wlassov's cranesbill |
| Family |
geraniaceae |
| Life cycle |
perennial |
| Flowers |
purple (July) |
| Seed ripens | early September |
Not sure if I have the correct identification on this one. In mid-summer of the year I started these from seed, I spotted a tiny cranesbill flower on a sprawling leafy stalk. According to online sources, this plant is supposed to grow taller than its width, with larger flowers. I certainly enjoyed its fiery red fall foliage. I reserved judgment until this year, and indeed at least one of the plants (pictured above) looks more like what I was expecting. Interestingly, the newly re-emerging plants feature purple-mottled leaves; they turn plain green by late spring.
Recently I've come to suspect that my seed source contained two distinct species of geranium, one of which may be G. wlassovianum. The species that produced the tiny first-year flower is probably not – it appears to be closer to G. palustre. This one has been a vigorous self-seeder in our garden, colonizing quite a few areas. Its flowers stay tiny, and tend to be closed at dark and in overcast conditions, which is unusual for cranesbills.
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| | In October the plants are covered with "cranesbill" seed structures; the ones at left have already shot their seeds out; the ones at right are ready to shoot. |
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| | That tiny first-year flower |
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| The photos below are specific to the small-flowered, rampant species mentioned above; they capture the appearance of a colony at the rockpile of our blueberry plot
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| | Notice the scale: the flowers don't dwarf the tiny hoverfly |
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| | Petals held closed in overcast condition |
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| | Five-pointed leaves |
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We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston. Read about all the cranesbills and heronsbills in our garden on my geraniums page About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Geranium wlassovianum
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Mike Donnally | Nov 01, 2016 | Nicely done, your description of G. wlassovianum. The plant is never forward, yet always present, in a garden. Have grown it for over 20 years. A gardenworthy plant. Thank you for focusing on it. |
- Seed from '09 garden. Baggy 70F (4w) - 35F (45d) - 70F (39%G, 4-16d)
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