Wild Geranium Care: How to Grow Geranium Maculatum

Wild geranium, also known by the scientific name Geranium maculatum, is a herbaceous perennial wildflower that is a native to the woodlands of Eastern North America, including Louisiana, Oklahoma, Florida, North Dakota, Maine, and Arkansas. Wild geraniums belong to the Geraniaceae family and have purple, lilac, or pink blooms and loose clusters of dark, many-lobed green basal leaves.

As clump-forming woodland perennials with showy flowers, wild geraniums are often used as ornamental plants or garden plants in woodland gardens or home landscapes as ground cover. The leaves have branched rhizomes, and the seed capsules are beak-shaped, which inspired their common name “wild cranesbill.”

Wild geraniums have a bloom time from around early spring or late spring to early summer and will thrive in USDA hardiness zones three through eight. They are relatively easy to cultivate and also attract beneficial pollinators like bumblebees. It is best to begin sowing wild geranium seeds in the fall so that they don’t require artificial stratification. Here is an overview of how to grow wild geranium.

1. 1. Choose the site. Wild geranium flowers can tolerate full sun and light shade or part shade. However, they will flower more with increased sun exposure. Choose a site in your garden with plenty of sun if you want showy flowers. Keep in mind that wild geranium prefers rich soil with plenty of nutrients and organic matter that retains moisture well.
2. 2. Sow the wild geranium seeds. Wild geranium seeds need lots of sunlight to germinate, so you don’t need to bury them too far beneath the soil. Instead, sow seeds by sprinkling them across the flower bed. Next, sprinkle a light layer of soil over the top of the seeds, or simply press down on the seeds to embed them into the soil.
3. 3. Water your seeds after planting them. Keep the soil moist as your seeds germinate and grow. Be careful to avoid overwatering your seeds, but be sure that the soil is always slightly damp and doesn't dry out.
4. 4. Thin the seedlings. Once your seedlings are one to two inches tall, use garden shears to thin them back to between six and twelve inches apart to promote aeration.

Wild geraniums won’t require too much maintenance to grow, although it’s important to keep the soil moist and monitor any burgeoning blooms to make sure they are healthy and thriving in your garden.

1. 1. Water them regularly. Your wild geraniums will need moist soil to thrive, so watering the soil daily in the summer and less frequently in the winter will help encourage blooms.
2. 2. Weed your garden bed. To prevent other plants from coming in and competing for water and nutrients, keep your garden bed weed-free.
3. 3. Cut back your foliage between seasons. Wild geraniums do not require deadheading as they don’t repeat bloom during the season, but you may consider shearing back the foliage during bloom to encourage new growths.

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