Thank you for buying a native plant from Windflower Native Plant Nursery. Your purchase helps create a bit of Montana natural  history in your own yard as well as restore a piece of native Montana. This plant was grown by seed I collected locally in an ethical manner.    

Sticky Geranium or Cranesbill
Geranium viscosissimum
Geranium Family

Plant color: pinkish purple to magenta
Plant height: 15 – 36 inches
Bloom time: early to mid summer

Native habitat: sunny, often dry sites from valleys to mid-elevations, but can also be found in moist, shaded areas

Touch this plant’s leaves and you will understand its common name: “sticky” geranium. This stickiness comes from the viscous glands found in the leaves.
This may keep deer from browsing this plant (please notice I said “may”).

The leaves have been used as a natural medicine to stop bleeding, sooth chapped lips and treat sores. Its leaves look similar to the very poisonous monkshood so make sure you know what you are rubbing on your mouth.

Geranium’s let you know when they are unhappy by turning their leaves red. This happens most often when the plant is exposed to changes of light and/or temperature. When you first put the plant in your garden don’t worry if your formerly green plant turns red. Once the plant settles in to its new spot in the garden it will return to its former green color. The red leaves will come again in the fall as the light and temperature change giving your garden a spot of beautiful red color. 

More mature plants can be found growing in extremely dry conditions but give your new, young plant water to allow it get established.  Too much water however, and it will rot.  

The word geranium comes from the Greek geranos meaning crane which refers to the long, thin pointed “beak” of the fruit which looks like a crane’s head.

Notice the darker red lines on the petals. These lines reflect ultra-violet rays and act as airport runway lines to insects, like bees, which can see these wave lengths. The lines help to guide insects to the plant’s nectar. Remember native plants put much of their energy into growing roots their first year so your new plant may not bloom until next year.

Windflower Native Plant Nursery
PO Box 306
West Glacier, MT 59936
1.406.387.5527
www.windflowernativeplants.com