Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
native
Other Names:
Spotted Geranium, Wood Geranium, Spotted Cranesbill, Wild Cranesbill, Alum Root, Alum Bloom, Old Maid's Nightcap
Wild Geranium is a native herbaceous perennial plant found in much of Virginia. It grows in Monticello Park next to the west path near the middle of park and in a few other areas, and you can see it in bloom during the spring bird migration. The purple flowers, which are one-to-two inches in diameter, attract many species of bees. The flowers and leaves also attract many other species of insects, and chipmunks sometimes eat the seeds. The name "geranium" comes from the Greek word for crane, because the seed capsules of some species resemble the bill of a crane; among the other common names for this plant are Spotted and Wild Cranesbill.
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