Carolina Geranium

Geranium carolinianum L.

Geraniaceae (Geranium Family)

first year rosette▲

young plant▲

▲▼mature, flowering plants

▲ stems often pinkish or reddish in color

▲▼flowers

▲plant with many fruit

▲▼fruit

▲ comparison of leaves of Carolina Geranium (lower left), dovefoot geranium (upper center), and smallflower geranium (right)

Carolina Geranium: 

• *    biennial or winter annual, sometimes summer annual with round, deeply lobed leaves·        

• *    first year forms a rosette  6-12" diameter of less deeply divided leaves

• *    second year, produces more upright, branching growth habit and more deeply lobed leaves, about 2-18 inches tall & wide in non-turf areas, hugs ground in turf

• *    stems are reddish-pink to tan

• *    has umbels of small pink to purple flowers in mid to late spring

• *    fruit is an upright pod--similar to crane's bill in appearance; cranesbill is another name for these plants

• *    has larger, paler pink flowers than the similar species of cutleaf geranium, dovefoot geranium and smallflower geranium.