Geranium bicknellii aka Bicknell's Cranesbill

Geranium bicknellii is in Geraniaceae, the geranium family. People call it Bicknell's cranesbill or northern cranesbill. It is native to North America. Its range runs from subarctic lands into the United States. It spans much of Canada and many American states. These include Alaska and parts of the west, centre, and east. Kew places it in the temperate climate zone. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

Plants For A Future gives a height of 2 feet [0.6 metres]. The sources differ on how long it lives. Kew calls it an annual, which lives one year. Plants For A Future says annual or biennial, meaning two years. Chicago Botanic Garden calls it a creeping perennial, living several years. The records do not give a clear full-grown spread. The supplied species accounts give no leaf or stem details. The RHS describes leaves and flowers for the genus. That account does not describe this species alone.

Chicago Botanic Garden lists pink blooms from May through August. Plants For A Future says flowers have male and female organs. The supplied accounts do not describe its fruit or seeds. In the wild, it grows in woods and open fields. Chicago suggests growing it in beds and borders. Plants For A Future also lists sunny woodland edges. These sites show the range of places the sources describe.

The sources support growing it in sun. They differ on how much shade it can take. Chicago lists full sun and part shade. Plants For A Future says it cannot grow in shade. That source lists sand, loam, and clay as suitable soils. It lists mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline ground too. The plant prefers moist soil. Chicago gives USDA hardiness zones 3–9. Plants For A Future has not confirmed hardiness in Britain. It says to sow seeds in spring or autumn under a cold frame. Growers can move young plants into pots, then plant outdoors in summer.

Plants For A Future lists leaves and flowers as food. People can eat the leaves raw or cooked. The source gives them a low food rating. People can eat the flowers raw too. It records past astringent uses, which draw tissues tight. It also records styptic uses to stop bleeding. These uses include treatments for sore throats. The records do not prove these uses are safe or work. The source lists no known hazards. It does not flag a risk of becoming a weed. The supplied species accounts name no pests or diseases.