Ohio Native Plant Natural Range
To view the natural range of Geranium maculatum visit the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website.
Cultivation Information Wild Geranium
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Height - 14 to 18 inchesFlower Color - pinkBlooms - April - JuneSun - Light Sun to Partial ShadePerennial Zone - 3 to 8Soil - Moist, Lots of Organic MaterialpH - 4 to 5Family - Geraniaceae Over the Years - We have found, Wild Geraniumsdo not require a great deal of maintenance and are not invasive. They do however tend to go dormant in late summer.
Historical Herbal Remedies Geranium maculatum
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*Information in the following paragraphs is strictly provided for educational purposes only. Nodding Onion Gardens is not qualified or certified to make any herbal recommendations. We are merely fascinated by how closely knit relationships held between pollinators, birds, wildlife, plants and people truly are!
Native American Ethnobotany records that the: Chippewa, Cherokee, Choctaw, Iroquois, Menominee, Meskwaki and Ojibwa used the roots (rhizomes) of Geranium maculatum for a wide range of health issues. Including: sore throat rinse, treatment for diarrhea, poultice for burns, canker sores and tooth aches.
The Cherokee Herbal Native Plant Medicine from Four Directions by J.T. Garret mentions that it was used as an astringent to treat diarrhea mainly in elders and children. The Healing Power of Tea Simple Teas & Tisanes by Caroline Dow indicates Wild Geranium tea calms the nerves and helps with the transitions associated with menopause. As always, botanical names matter! The nursery Geraniums that we have come to love and Wild Geranium are in the same family Geraniaceae however they do not share the same Genus. The Variegated and Scarlet varieties are in the Genus Perargonim vs. Wild Geranium categorized as Geranium. In my opinion both are gorgeous!