Musk Stork's-Bill (Erodium moschatum) is in the Geranium family family (Geraniaceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 5,856 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in April.
Nationally it blooms mainly from March to April, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.
When to photograph Musk Stork's-Bill: observations by month (U.S.)
About Musk Stork's-Bill
Erodium moschatum is a species of flowering plant in the geranium family known by the common names musk stork's-bill and whitestem filaree. This is a weedy annual or biennial herb which is native to much of Eurasia and North Africa but can be found on most continents where it is an introduced species. The young plant starts with a flat rosette of compound leaves, each leaf up to 15 centimeters long with many oval-shaped highly lobed...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Musk Stork's-Bill by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 5,847 | April | Mar–Apr |
| Oregon | 9 | April | Apr–Apr |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related wildflowers (Geranium family)
Redstem Stork's-bill
Wild Geranium
Mediterranean Stork's-bill
Herb Robert
Cut-leaved crane's-bill
Dove's-foot crane's-bill
Carolina crane's-bill
Little-Robin
Photography tips
- Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
- Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
- Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
- Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Musk Stork's-Bill?
Nationally, April has the most observations, with the main season from March to April.
Where is Musk Stork's-Bill most often seen?
The most observations come from California, Oregon.