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Geranium phaeum
Also called Dusky crane's-bill, Mourning widow
Geranium phaeum is a hardy European perennial with dark purple, backward-turned flowers and often brown-blotched leaves, grown in woodland-style and cottage gardens. It is happiest in partial shade with moist, well-drained soil.
Geranium phaeum, commonly called dusky crane's-bill, mourning widow or black widow, is a herbaceous plant species in the family Geraniaceae. It is native to southern, central, and western Europe, and is cultivated as a garden subject. It has dark violet colored flowers. It is unmistakable with dark purple petals turned backwards and with conspicuous projecting stamens and style. Petals crinkly-edged and pointed. Leaves often blotched brown.
The cultivar 'Our Pat' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Geranium albanum · Geranium aristatum · Geranium asphodeloides · Geranium cinereum · Geranium clarkei · Dalmatian Crane's Bill · Endres's cranesbill · Himalayan Crane's Bill · Iberian geranium · Hardy geranium · Spotted geranium · Madiera cranesbill
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Geranium phaeum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
