The cranesbill is a bee-friendly flowering perennial and wild plant. With us you will learn everything about the growth, propagation and use of cranesbills in the garden.
The cranesbill (Geranium) was considered an important medicinal plant in the Middle Ages and is native to almost every garden today. We present the diverse genus of cranesbills and give tips on propagation and use.
Gransbill: origin and characteristics
Gransbills or geraniums are the most species-rich genus of the cranesbill family (Geraniaceae). They are closely related to their namesakes, the summer balcony flowers geraniums (Pelargonium). Cranesbills are found on almost every continent and grow as an annual, rarely biennial or mostly perennial as a perennial. The growth forms of the around 400 cranesbill species also differ greatly, because they can grow creeping, upright, bushy, compact or climbing. Native to us and found in rubble dumps, on shady edges of paths and forests as well as in fields, we find above all Ruprechtskraut (Geranium robertianum), Dwarf Cranesbill (Geranium pusillum ), Dissected Cranesbill (Geranium dissectum) and Soft Cranesbill (Geranium molle).
In general, cranesbills grow to a height of between 15 and 70 cm. They are usually much wider than they are tall. The plants are often hairy on the stem, leaf and calyx and are soft to the touch. The leaves of the cranesbill are usually in five parts and deeply pinnately notched. However, some species also have rounded leaves with a lobed edge. Some perennial cranesbills are evergreen, while others display a gorgeous fall foliage coloration of shades of orange, yellow, or red.
The cranesbill flower is round, fivefold and has ten stamens, some of which protrude far like the rock cranesbill (Geranium macrorrhizum). The flowers sit individually, often tooin pairs at the end of the flower stalk, more rarely as a raceme with several buds. Depending on the species and variety, the flowering period of cranesbills begins in April and ends in October. Many bloom for months, others only briefly, but can develop a second bloom after an early pruning. Cranesbills are bee-friendly plants because they flower to bridge the nutrient-poor midsummer and provide nectar and pollen. The seeds form in long, beak-shaped split fruits that explode explosively when ripe and eject the seeds meters away. The elongated fruit of the cranesbill is therefore also known as the catapult fruit.
Which cranesbill flowers the longest? Besides our native wild species, cranesbills with a long flowering period are above all the gray cranesbill (Geranium cinereum) and the water-loving marsh cranesbill (Geranium palustre).
Weeds or useful weeds?
The question of whether cranesbill is a weed or a useful weed can be debated at length. In agriculture, some species are considered annoying weeds that spread quickly and widely on fields and grassland meadows. At the same time, some cranesbills, as indicator plants, provide information about the soil conditions or existing nutrient reserves. Cranesbill flowers feed numerous insects, including rare wild bees. Some of our native species can be collected and used as medicinal plants.
Granesbill as a weed
Grassbill in the lawn can become an unloved weed. Because it is often too low to be mowed and at the same time multiplies via the seeds thrown over a wide area. Cutting out plants before seed maturity is the best way to control them.
Tip: The dwarf cranesbill is considered an indicator plant for increased nitrogen levels in the soil. By reducing this in the fertilization accordingly, the strong cranesbill growth can be slowed down and it will disappear in the long run.
Gransbill vs. ground elder
Collectoring cranesbills such as Magnificent Cranesbill (Geranium x magnificum), thanks to strong growth, can be used to suppress ground elder ( Aegopodium podagria) can be planted. First, free the affected area from ground elder and work the soil, for example with a garden tiller. The crushed root pieces are thencarefully collected with a leaf rake. Then it's time to plant cranesbills. Under optimal conditions, cranesbills can spread above and below ground over time, displacing goutweed.
Propagating Cranesbill
Depending on the species, cranesbills can be propagated either by seed or cuttings. Most like to sow themselves in the garden. For controlled sowing or propagation of varieties, cranesbill seeds can be collected in autumn together with the almost ripe, brown colored beak fruit and left to dry in a bag until the split fruit bursts open and the rounded seeds are released. Take them out and let them dry for a few more days at room temperature. Many cranesbill species are cold germs. This means the seeds need a cold stimulus to germinate. So either sow cranesbill seeds outdoors in autumn or place the seeds embedded in moist sand in the refrigerator for four to six weeks. The seeds are then sown about one centimeter deep into the ground and everything is kept moist at temperatures of 15 - 20 °C. After about two weeks, the first tender seedlings will appear. They can be pricked out after four to six weeks and put outdoors.
Kransbill cuttings should ideally be cut in the summer before flowering. Using a sharp knife, a 10 cm long, not yet lignified piece of shoot is separated from the mother plant and then defoliated down to the young foliage at the tip of the shoot. The shoot is stuck deep into the growing substrate and kept moist at around 20 °C for the coming weeks. A plastic hood increases the relative humidity and supports growth.
A nutrient-poor potting soil such as our Plantura organic herb and seed soil is suitable for both sowing and geranium cuttings. The loose, airy structure promotes root formation and reduces the risk of waterlogging.
Is cranesbill poisonous or edible?
Granesbills are generally non-toxic to humans and pets. The stinky cranesbill is edible and can be added to herb salads or flower s alts without hesitation. An exception is the meadow cranesbill (Geranium pratense), which is poisonous to hamsters, but which they also hate to eat. Cranesbills includedhowever, various essential oils that can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive skin. Therefore, wear gloves for safety when planting, pruning and other maintenance measures.
Healing effect and use
In the Middle Ages, cranesbill was of great importance in folk medicine for the treatment of wounds and bleeding. Even today, the healing effect of cranesbill can be used in phytotherapy. Especially the spotted cranesbill (Geranium maculatum), blood cranesbill and the Ruprechtskraut are said to promote haemostasis and wound healing when used externally and to fight inflammation of the oral mucosa. Stomach ulcers, diarrhea and kidney inflammation as well as kidney stones can be positively influenced internally by taking cranesbill tea made from dried leaves or homeopathic preparations.
Another flowering perennial that tolerates shade is the hepatica (Hepatica). We introduce the violet flowering forest dweller and give tips on planting, care and propagation.