Wild Geranium

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) is in the Geranium family family (Geraniaceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 9,571 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in May.

Nationally it blooms mainly from April to May, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.

When to photograph Wild Geranium: observations by month (U.S.)

About Wild Geranium

Geranium maculatum, the (wild geranium, spotted geranium, or wood geranium, is a perennial plant native to woodland in eastern North America, from southern Manitoba and southwestern Quebec south to Alabama and Georgia and west to Oklahoma and South Dakota.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Wild Geranium by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related wildflowers (Geranium family)

Redstem Stork's-billErodium cicutarium

Mediterranean Stork's-billErodium botrys

Herb RobertGeranium robertianum

Musk Stork's-BillErodium moschatum

Cut-leaved crane's-billGeranium dissectum

Dove's-foot crane's-billGeranium molle

Carolina crane's-billGeranium carolinianum

Little-RobinGeranium purpureum

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