Carolina Geranium

(Geranium carolinianum L.)

Geraniaceae (Geranium Family)

first year rosette▲

young plant▲

mature, flowering plant▲

flower ▲

Carolina Geranium:  (pp. 244,245 in Weeds of the Northeast) (not in Weeds of the Great Plains)

• *    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.