Wild geranium meadow

Bluish and purple flowers of meadow geranium can be found in the meadow in summer. Many amateur flower growers dream of growing this amazing flower in their summer cottage.

Wild geranium meadow - what kind of flower

Crane, field geranium or wild meadow geranium belongs to the Geraniev family. This plant is used as a medicinal plant. It is also a honey plant. The Latin name is Geranium pratense.

Walking through the forest, you can see meadow geraniums

Forest geranium and meadow geranium are similar species. Unlike meadow geranium, forest geranium is not a medicinal plant. The color of its petals can be pink, red, purple, blue.

This plant belongs to the Geranium genus, so it should not be confused with Pelargonium, which belongs to a different species, but belongs to the same family.

The extraordinary beauty of flowers is mesmerizing

A brief description of where it grows in the wild

Meadow geranium lives in temperate climates in all regions of Eurasia. It grows in meadows of the steppe and dry land, in forest glades and forest edges. It can be found in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests, near shrubs. She often lives near fences and barriers.

Wild geranium loves moist soil, but does not tolerate either excessive moisture or temporary drought. This flower grows in soil that contains a moderate amount of minerals. Wild geranium is a light-loving plant. She does well in open spaces with good lighting. Shading and lack of sunlight oppresses the flower and can destroy it.

Botanical characteristics and description:

• The plant has a thick and short (less than 10 cm) rhizome with bracts.
• Straight stems, about 30–80 cm high, branch off at the top.
• Near the root are wide carved leaves, divided into 7 blades. Similar leaves on the stem are divided into 5 lobes, and the leaves near the inflorescence are divided into three lobes.
• The inflorescence is shaped like an umbrella. Many large flowers appear in each of them.
• The petals are 2.3 mm long and 17 mm wide.
• The flower consists of 5 wide rounded petals of blue, bluish, purple, lilac color.
• All parts of the plant are covered with short soft hairs.

Wild meadow geranium blooms for 2 months: from late May to mid-July. Fruits ripen by August or September. This flower gives a lot of pollen and nectar.

Geranium pratense grows in meadows, forest edges and clearings

Medicinal properties and contraindications for use

Knowledge about such a useful plant as meadow geranium is passed from generation to generation. The healing properties of this flower are very diverse:

• It has anti-inflammatory, astringent and antiseptic properties.
• Helps to stop bleeding, to numb a small wound.
• Dissolves kidney stones, bladder.
• It is a toxoid in relation to snake venom.

A decoction or infusion of leaves, flowers, crane roots is used for a number of diseases:

• bronchitis, tracheitis, other respiratory diseases;
• enteritis, colitis;
• food poisoning;
• dysentery;
• cancer;
• epilepsy;
• angina pectoris, tachycardia;
• rheumatism, gout;
• bone fractures;
• insomnia;
• angina;
• inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat;
• fever;
• various bleeding;
• abscesses, abscesses, skin ulcers;
• fistulas.

With this broth, you need to wash your hair with severe hair loss.

Despite the variety of medicinal properties, meadow geranium has several contraindications. Preparations based on this plant cannot be used for certain diseases and conditions:

• thrombophlebitis;
• thrombosis;
• increased blood viscosity;
• gastritis;
• increased acidity of the stomach;
• intestinal atony;
• constipation;
• pregnancy.

The plant contains many flavonoids, vitamins, tannins.

Varieties bred on the basis of meadow geranium

On the basis of meadow geranium, many decorative varieties were bred that can be grown in the garden, at their summer cottage, in flower beds.

Purple birds

Bright purple, slightly curved petals add volume to the flowers. Each flower has 5 to 15 petals. Geraniums of the Purple Birds variety grow large inflorescences of 3-5 buds in each. Dark green leaves densely cover the tall stem. The size of the bush reaches 90-110 cm.

Purple birds bloom twice a season: in summer and autumn. At the end of June, the buds bloom, the plant blooms luxuriantly, profusely. Purple birds look great until late autumn and winter.

Purple birds

Splish splash

The delicate white petals of Splish splash geranium are covered with blue strokes and large spots up to 4 cm in diameter. The plant up to 70 cm in height has large flowers and wide openwork leaves with 5 lobes. In summer, the leaves are green, but in autumn they acquire an unusual color. Splish-splash blooms from June to August. An incredibly beautiful flower will decorate any garden for the whole summer.

Purple gost

White petals with dark veins are a feature of the Purple gost species. The leaves and stem of this plant have a muted purple or brown hue. Plant height ranges from 40 cm to 55 cm. Purple Ghost has a very apt name: purple leaves combined with pale petals. The flower looks mysterious, enigmatic.

Laura

Delicate, double, white flowers of Laura geranium are covered with thin, almost imperceptible veins. On a stem up to 60 cm high, delicate green openwork leaves grow. At first glance, this beautiful flower seems defenseless, but in fact it is strong, hardy, unpretentious. It blooms from June to August, but retains its beauty until winter. These qualities allow this plant to be used in landscape design in a variety of ways.

Hocus Pocus

Bright blue and light blue flowers are a special pride of the Focus Pocus geranium species (in Latin Hocus Pocus). This variety blooms in July, blooms until early autumn. Hocus Pocus has bright purple or dark purple leaves. The carved leaf grows up to 10 cm in length. They are covered with sharp teeth. The height of the plant reaches 60 cm. This bright, elegant flower will become a luxurious decoration of a flower bed or garden.

Hocus pocus

Is it possible to transplant meadow geraniums to the site

Meadow geranium will easily take root if you transplant it to a summer cottage. On moist soil rich in fertilizers, it will grow and decorate the garden with bright, delicate flowers that you can admire until autumn.

You can transplant wild geraniums in the spring or early fall. You need to dig out a small young seedling, preserving as much soil as possible. You cannot shake the ground from the roots. First you need to prepare a place in the garden: loosen and compost the soil, provide the plant with the necessary conditions. It grows quickly, so it needs a lot of space. Meadow geraniums should be transplanted into moist soil, after transplanting, water again.

Features of growing and care

Geranium pratense can be grown in a spacious area in greenhouses, greenhouses, greenhouses. The plant is unpretentious, so complex care is not required for it. The most important thing is to provide him with an abundance of light and moisture.

The flower needs abundant lighting.

The soil must be fertile. It is necessary to equip good drainage so that moisture does not stagnate, otherwise the roots will rot. Every year in the spring, the land is fed with fertilizer. It is necessary to protect the meadow geranium from weeds, weed the flower bed. She does not need shelter for the winter.

Propagating wild geraniums using cuttings, seeds or cuttings

Wild geraniums can be propagated by seeds, cuttings or cuttings.

Seeds

Seed propagation is a time consuming method. They need to be soaked in gauze for several days. When the seeds hatch, they are transferred to cups with humus and sand. 3-5 germinated seeds are placed in each glass. Then the cups are covered with cellophane, placed in a sunny place, watered regularly. When the sprouts sprout, the cellophane is removed. After a while, strong shoots are transplanted into open ground.

Cuttings

Propagating geraniums by cuttings or cuttings is much easier. Cuttings are cut in spring or autumn. Then you can choose the strongest of them. The cuttings are planted in a sunny space, the soil is fed with potash fertilizers.

Geranium pratense can be propagated by cuttings

In the spring, you need to separate a small shoot from a healthy plant, put it in water. When the root sprouts, the shoot is planted on a warm sunny bed.

Growing problems, diseases and pests

Despite its resistance to adverse conditions, Geranium pratense is prone to a variety of diseases. The root system can be attacked by rot caused by fungus. Then the geranium will be covered with a grayish bloom.

A great danger is the Botrytis fungus, which causes the appearance of gray rot. Because of it, the stems are covered with brown spots. In addition, the plant can wither and become stained due to the fault of viruses. With all kinds of bacterial infections, the flower loses its leaves.

A dangerous signal is edema - bubbles on the stem and leaves. When the bubble bursts, accumulated liquid flows out of it. A brown spot remains on the sore spot, the plant turns yellow and dries up. Edema most often occurs due to excessive moisture and low temperature. These factors provoke the multiplication of fungi, bacteria and viruses.

Such pests as whitefly, aphids and spider mites are dangerous. For treatment, you need to prepare an aspirin solution by dissolving 1 tablet in 8 liters of water. The affected plant is first washed with this solution and then treated with insecticides.

Meadow geranium is a charming wild-growing beauty that will easily take root in a summer cottage.