Bloody Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) is a true natural beauty and a favorite in gardens.
Ecological Importance
- Insects: Attracts day-flying butterflies and serves as a food plant for, for example, the larvae of woodland and dusky-blue butterflies
- Wild status: In Finland, especially in Åland and the southwestern archipelago, but also grown as an ornamental plant in gardens
- Perennial, low-growing plant (20–50 cm tall)
- Deeply lobed, glossy green leaves that turn a stunning crimson in fall
- Flowers dark purplish-red, 3–4 cm wide, with five petals, blooms in June–July
- Sturdy and branching rhizome, the plant spreads effectively
- Light: loves sun
- Soil: calcareous, dry, sandy or rocky; thrives in nutrient-poor soil
- Easy to care for, suitable as ground cover and in rock gardens, can be divided every few years
