About Geranium columbinum L.
Geranium columbinum L. (long-stalked cranesbill) averages 15 to 30 centimeters (5.9 to 11.8 inches) in height, with a maximum height of 60 centimeters (24 inches). Its stem is roughly erect, covered in hairs, and fairly branched. The leaves grow opposite one another, are approximately pentagonal and palmate, and their leaf lobes have two to three deep cuts that give the leaves a shape similar to a pigeon’s foot. This shape is the source of the species’ Latin epithet columbinus. The flowers are pink to purple, measure 15 to 20 millimeters (0.59 to 0.79 inches) across, and have five obovate-heart-shaped petals that are the same length as the flower’s sepals. The petals themselves are 7 to 9 millimeters long, and have distinct visible veining. This species flowers from March through September. Its flowers are hermaphroditic, and are pollinated by insects via entomogamy. This plant occurs naturally across all of Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, and has been introduced to North America. Geranium columbinum grows best on moderately dry, nutrient-rich calcareous soils. It can be found in woods, hedgerows, and roadsides, at altitudes ranging from 0 to 1,200 meters (0 to 3,937 feet) above sea level.
