Bloody Crane's-bill

Scientific name: Geranium sanguineum

Blommar mellan vecka 22 och 44.
Blomningstiden är ungefärlig och kan variera mellan åren

Förekomst: Common

Bloody Crane's-bill grows in sun-warmed and dry scrubland, light-open and dry forests, edges and slopes, cobblestone fields and in cracks in limestone on alvar.

It is found in Sweden from Skåne to Gästrikland and is much more common along the coast and in calcareous areas.

Bloody Crane's-bill blooms in June-July with large carmine pink flowers. The flowers sit alone on long stems from the leaf folds. The petals are shallowly tufted at the top. Bloody Crane's-bill seed housing acts as a "throwing device" for the seeds, which after maturation are thrown out in a wide arc, up to 2 meters. Towards autumn, the leaves turn a blood-red color.

Bloody Crane's-bill has been known since the Middle Ages. It has been used in folk medicine for nosebleeds, diarrhea, gastritis, kidney problems and gout, as well as externally as a cover for wounds and boils. It has also been used against bed bugs, probably because it has an unpleasant, foul odor.

The species name sanguineum comes from the Latin sanguis (blood) and refers to the species' bright red autumn colors and often reddish stems. The family name Geranium comes from the Greek geranos (crane) and refers to the fruit stand which is beak-shaped

The main distribution is in the continental parts of Europe, including the Mediterranean area.

Bloody Crane's-bill hittar du på följande platser: