Geranium sylvaticum aka Wood Crane's Bill

Geranium sylvaticum is a perennial in the Geraniaceae family. Common names include wood cranesbill, wood geranium and king's hood. Its native range spans southern Greenland, Europe, Siberia and northern Iran. It grows in meadows, damp woods and along hedgebanks. It also occurs on rock ledges in mountain areas. These habitats place it in both open and wooded settings.

This deciduous plant has a bushy form and loses its leaves seasonally. Garden plants reach about 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 m] tall. Their spread ranges from 0.3–1.6 feet [0.1–0.5 m]. Plants take two to five years to reach full size. The leaves have deep divisions and toothed edges. Flowers appear in May and June. They are usually violet-blue, with a white centre. The flowers provide a source of blue or violet dye. The colour fades rather than lasting well.

Grow wood cranesbill in full sun or partial shade. It does best in moist soil that drains well. Avoid ground that stays waterlogged. It accepts moderately fertile chalk, clay, loam and sand. Acid, neutral and alkaline soils all suit it. The RHS gives it a hardiness rating of H7. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 4–8. Its cold tolerance makes it suitable for gardens with harsh winters. Its soil tolerance gives gardeners a wide choice of planting sites.

Use it in informal borders, wildflower meadows and wildlife gardens. It also suits planting beneath roses and shrubs. Plants For A Future describes it as a dense ground cover. Young ground-cover plantings need weeding during their first year or so. That source suggests spacing plants about 2 feet [0.6 m] apart. Divide plants in spring to make more. Basal cuttings offer another method in early to mid-spring. Cut back spent flower stems and old leaves. This encourages fresh leaf growth and further flowers.

Wood cranesbill has few routine pest or disease problems. Vine weevils, capsid bugs and sawflies may still attack it. Downy mildew and powdery mildew can also occur. Plants For A Future reports no known edible or medicinal uses. It also lists no known hazards. That statement does not establish that every part is safe to eat.