Southwest Desert Flora

Scientific Name: Geranium caespitosum
Common Name: Pineywoods Geranium
Also Called: Crane's Bill, Fremont's Geranium, Parry's Geranium, Purple Cluster Geranium, Purple Geranium, Purple Wild Geranium, Tufted Geranium, Wild Geranium
Family: Geraniaceae, Cranesbill or Storksbill Family
Synonyms: ()
Status: Native
Duration: Perennial;
Size: Up to 18 inches, spreading outward 24 or more inches.
Growth Form: Forb/herb, subshrub; low growing, sprawling.
Leaves: Green; palmate, deeply cut or lobed (see photo).
Flower Color: Pink to purple; flowers showy about 1½ inches, corolla of 5 petals with dark purple veins, 5 sepals and 5 stamens, fruit a schizocarp of 5 mericarps
Flowering Season: May to September.
Elevation: 5,000 to 9,000 feet

Habitat Preferences: Mid- to upper-elevations, common in coniferous forests and adjacent streams, canyons and other riparian or moist areas.

Recorded Range: Pineywoods Geranium is found primarily in western United States in; AZ, CO, NM, NV, TX, UT and WY. It is also native to northern Mexico. In Arizona it can be found in the northern and southern parts state; few or no records in La Paz, Maricopa, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Geranium caespitosum.

U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No information available.

Wetland Indicator: In North America Geranium caespitosum has the following wetland designations; Arid West, FAC; Great Plains, FAC; Western Mountains Valleys and Coast, FAC.
FAC,= Facultative, occur in wetlands and non-wetlands.

Threatened/Endangered Information: No information available.

Genus Information: 44 species in Geranium throughout North America. 6 native species in Arizona.

4 varieties in Geranium caespitosum:
Geranium caespitosum var. caespitosum, Pineywoods Geranium (AZ, CO, NM, NV, TX, UT, WY);
Geranium caespitosum var. eremophilum, Purple Cluster geranium (AZ, NM);
Geranium caespitosum var. fremontii, Fremont's Geranium (AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT and WY);
Geranium caespitosum var. parryi, Parry's Geranium (AZ, CO, NM, UT and WY).

The Plant List includes 1,216 scientific plant names of species rank for the genus Geranium. Of these 411 are accepted species names.

Comments: A mid- to upper elevation species Geranium caespitosum is found in the western United States and into northern Mexico.

Also see in Southwest Desert Flora; Richardson's Geranium, Geranium richardsonii and Carolina Geranium, Geranium carolinianum.

Geranium caespitosum has been used as a dermatological aid, as fodder and as an antidiarrheal. See a complete listing of ethno-botanical uses at Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn.