About Geranium macrorrhizum L.
Geranium macrorrhizum is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Geranium, belonging to the Geraniaceae family. It is native to the southeast Alps and the Balkans. Its common names are bigroot geranium, Bulgarian geranium, and rock crane's-bill. It has palmate five-lobed leaves that release an aroma when crushed, and produces pale pink flowers during the summer. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, where it is grown as a flowering groundcover. Named cultivars have been selected for flower colors ranging from white through pink to magenta. The cultivars 'Ingwersen's Variety', which bears pale pink flowers, and 'White-ness' have earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. This plant has been used in traditional herbal medicine. One of the many components found in its essential oil is germacrone, a sesquiterpene ketone that has demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis. An essential oil extracted from this plant is also used in aromatherapy. In addition to essential oils, Geranium macrorrhizum contains flavonoids, sesquiterpenes, phenolic acids, pigments, vitamins, and mineral salts.
