Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum): Woodland Healer of Many Talents

A Woodland Beauty with Healing Strength

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), also called Cranesbill, is a native perennial long admired in or near North American woodlands. From April to June, its five-petaled lavender-pink blooms scatter soft color while its deeply cut leaves form an elegant, green canopy through the growing season. Beyond its beauty, Wild Geranium holds a centuries-old reputation as a dependable medicine and a plant of quiet endurance. Known by many names—Spotted Cranesbill, Wild Alum Root, Wood Geranium, Crowfoot, Stork Bill, Chocolate Flower, Dove’s Foot—its presence in time-honored traditional medicine and gardens alike tells the story of a plant woven deeply into human history.

Botanical Profile

Belonging to the Geranium or Geraniaceae family, Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) is easily recognized by its deeply-lobe, palmate leaves, erect stems and five-petaled lilac-colored flowers that draw native bees, butterflies and even specialist pollinators such as the cranesbill miner bee (not specifically sighted in the midwest). After flowering, its seed capsules mature into the distinctive “crane’s bill” shape that inspires its common name. In nature, it often grows in colonies, spreading by rhizomes and seed. Wonderfully, Wild Geranium is resistant to deer and rabbits.

Historical Use and Traditional Recognition

Safely employed by Native American tribes, Wild Geranium’s vast uses may have been shared with European settlers during an era when they still respected the Indian nations. It was safe for infants and adults, even those with weak stomachs, and not nauseating. This plant had internal and external benefits for its patients.

When the fresh rhizome and water were used in solution, it treated internal hemorrhaging and dysentery.¹ When dried, the ‘root’ took on a chocolate color. Internally, Wild Geranium was effective for gastric ulcers, piles, “flooding” (too heavy of menstruation), leucorrhea, and excessive mucus discharges. A mouthwash for sore gums, sore throat and canker sores was made from the decoction. The Indians treated thrush by combining Wild Geranium and Wild Grape decoction to use as a mouthwash. Noted for its external applications, Cranesbill was valued for its versatility. The decoction or powdered root helped heal wounds. Used as a snuff, it could stop a nosebleed. Damp compresses made from the plant mended burns. Poultices were applied for arthritis and joint pain.

A discussion of Wild Geranium would be incomplete without mentioning its beautifying effects. Dr. Edward E. Shook, herbalist and educator who mentored Dr. John R. Christopher at the Los Angeles Herbal Institute, wrote the following:

“We say, without fear of favor, that for removing wrinkles, astringing enlarged pores, checking the overactivity of the sudoriferous and sebaceous glands in the skin, contracting enlarged and engorged capillaries in the skin that are brought about by excessive stimulation with hot packs, steaming, massage, and irritants which are employed in the usual procedure in so-called beauty parlors, there is no remedy equal to Geranium maculatum when properly combined and compounded into creams and lotions and perfumed with non-irritating and astringent oils, gums, resins, etc.” ²

How to Grow Wild Geranium

Hardy from zones 3-8, Wild Geranium is an herbaceous perennial. Wild Geranium is as adaptable in the garden as it is enduring in herbal medicine. It prefers partial to full shade and moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. Once established, it tolerates a range of soils, from sandy to clay loam, and will spread gradually to form attractive clumps.

To propagate, divide mature clumps in spring or fall. The seeds are known for their unique dispersal mechanism—springing away from the parent plant when ripe. Offering both visual charm and a ready source of medicine, Wild Geranium will return year after year.

Wild Geranium is native across much of eastern North America—from southern Ontario and Quebec, down to Georgia, and westward into eastern Oklahoma and the Dakotas—according to the USDA PLANTS database map.

Healing Benefits and Therapeutic Actions

Therapeutic Actions:

• Analgesic – Helps reduce pain and discomfort.
• Antidiarrheal – Helps slow or stop diarrhea.
• Astringent – Tightens and tones tissues, reducing excess secretions.
• Hemostat – Helps stop bleeding by promoting clot formation.
• Styptic – Stops minor bleeding when applied directly to wounds.

Traditional Herbal Applications:

Wild Geranium’s strong astringent and hemostatic properties made it a valued plant in traditional herbal practice, particularly for conditions involving excess fluid loss, tissue weakness, or bleeding. Historical records and herbal literature describe its use for:

• Chronic diarrhea & chronic dysentery, to tone and soothe the intestinal lining.
• Menorrhagia (heavy menstrual flow) and other excessive bleeding.
• Catarrhal gastritis and chronic catarrh, reducing mucus and inflammation in the digestive or respiratory tract.
• Night sweats and other conditions with excessive secretions.
• Inflammation in both internal and external tissues.
• Aphtha (mouth ulcers) and relaxed uvula, often relieved with astringent mouth rinses.
• Leucorrhea and gleet (mucus discharges), by toning mucous membranes.
• Indolent ulcers and ophthalmic conditions when applied as washes or compresses.
• Internal wounds and hemorrhage of the lungs when taken as a strong decoction.
  

The root of Wild Geranium contains notable amounts of tannins, gallic acid, gum, pectin and starch—compounds responsible for its astringent, anti-inflammatory and toning actions. In herbal skin care, its extract is valued for tightening tissues and balancing the complexion. This dual reputation—both healer and beautifier—has been part of the plant’s legacy for centuries.

In a study, Gallic acid was suggested to be helpful as an anti-anaphylactic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, bronchodilator, cholagogue (Hoffmann, p. 92, learned from Phytochemical Dictionary: A Handbook of Bioactive Compounds from Plants, 1993).  Science corroborated the traditional actions of Wild Geranium.

Preparation and Dosage

The part of Wild Geranium most often used is the root—fresh or dried, cut, crushed or powdered—though the dried leaves have also been prepared on occasion. For best strength, roots and leaves are traditionally gathered in early spring before flowering.

Common preparations include decoction, infusion, powder, tincture

Traditional adult amounts:

• Decoction – 1 to 2 t. in a water
• Infusion – 2 to 6 oz.
• Powder – 1 to 4 gr.
• Tincture – 30 to 60 drops

In traditional herbal practice, children, elders, and those who are sensitive take smaller amounts, adjusted to age, body weight and needs.

Contraindications and Cautions

Wild Geranium is generally well-tolerated when used in moderation. This is not a tonic; meaning it is not taken over a long period of time, especially internally. It has a high tannin content and could irritate the intestinal lining and reduce nutrient absorption if taken in large amounts and/or over long periods of time. Caution is recommended before using in pregnancy, discuss with a holistic herbalist.

Summary

Wild Geranium is a plant of quiet strength—unassuming in appearance yet potent in its gifts. From woodland floors to herbal apothecaries, it has served for generations as a reliable ally for tightening tissues, halting bleeding and soothing inflammation. It continues to offer both beauty and medicine to those who take the time to know it, standing as a reminder that some of the most valuable remedies grow quietly at our feet.

FAQs

How long do Wild Geraniums bloom?
Generally about a month, from late spring into early summer, though cooler weather can extend the bloom time.

Can I grow Wild Geranium in a sunny spot?
It will tolerate morning sun, but prefers partial to full shade for best growth and bloom.

Can the leaves be used medicinally?
Yes, though they are milder than the root and often used when a gentler astringent is desired.

Feel free to explore our other plant profiles to learn more about trusted healing herbs. See other articles I have written.

References:

¹ Angier, Bradford.  Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants, Second Edition.  Mechanicsburg, PA, United States of America, Stackpole Books, 2008. p. 212-213.

Christopher, John R. The School of Natural Healing, Sixteenth Edition. Springville, UT, United States of America, Christopher Publications, Inc. 2022. p. 152-154.

Hoffman, David. Medical Herbalism: the science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, VT, United States of America, Healing Arts Press, 2003.

² Shook, Edward E. An Advanced Treatise on Herbs. Pdf of unknown year,  p. 118.

© 2025 Kellie (Kalili) Haszard. Published by Growing Traditions. All Rights Reserved.This article is intended for educational use only. Reproduction or redistribution of this material in whole or in part is not permitted without prior written permission from the author. Sharing via direct links is welcome, provided full credit is given to Growing Traditions with a clear link to the original content at www.growingtraditions.org. Thank you for respecting the time and care that went into creating this work.