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Weed Identification

Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Science Virginia Cooperative Extension

Carolina geranium

Family

Geraniaceae

Scientific Name

Geranium carolinianum
Weed photograph 1
Weed photograph 2
Weed photograph 3
Weed photograph 4
Weed photograph 5
Weed photograph 6
Weed photograph 7

Other Common Names:

Carolina cranesbill
cranesbill

Habit

This freely branching biennial, flowers from May until August. Although usually biennial, they can also be found as winter or summer annuals.

Leaves

The leaves are alternate towards the bottom forming a basal rosette, while leaves on flowering stems are opposite. Hairy on both sides, leaves grow from 2.5 to 7 cm in diameter and are usually deeply divided into 5 to 9 lobed or toothed segments. The leaves are usually green but often have red hues. The round stems are green, light pink, or red and are densely covered in hair. Two stipules are present at the base of leaf stalks.

Identifying Characteristics

Carolina geranium is distinguished from dovefoot geranium and smallflower geranium by its dissected leaves and sepals with long awn-like tips. Carolina geranium is very similar to dissected geranium and differs only in that sepals and carpels of dissected geranium are totally glandular while in Carolina geranium these are mostly nonglandular.

Flower Seed Head

Two or more flowers can usually be found clustered at the tips of stems or branches. The five petals are usually whitish pink to purple and about 4 to 6 mm long. Sepals are 5 to 7 mm long and tipped with a sharp awn-like structure that is 1 to 2 mm long. The hairs on sepals are typically not glandular although a few glandular hairs may be found. The carpel is covered with nonglandular hairs.

Seed Fruit

Fruit are produced at the base of long styles, giving the appearance of a stork's bill. When ripe, the fruit splits into 5 sections each containing a single light to dark brown, oval seed.

Where Found

This plant can be found in disturbed areas such as; roadsides, gardens, and pastures.

Growth Habit

Varies: 
upright and nonwoody, 
prostrate and nonwoody

Thorns or Spines

not present

Approximate Flower Diameter

pencil

Dominant Flower Color

Varies: 
white, 
blue, 
purple

Flower Symmetry

radial symmetery

Leaf Hairs

has hairs

Leaf Shape

heart

Leaf Arrangement

Varies: 
alternate, 
opposite

Leaf Margin

Varies: 
lobed, 
serrated

Leaf Structure

palmate

Leaf Stalk

Varies: 
none, 
shorter than leaf

Stem Hairs

has hairs

Stem Cross Section

round or oval

Milky Sap

not present

Root Structure

taproot

Life Cycle

biennial

Ochrea

not present

Plant Type

Herb