Description
Eridium – Heron’s Bill – Stork’s Bill –
There are about 60 species of mostly low growing and clumping annuals, perennials and evergreen and deciduous subshrubs, in this genus. They occur in rocky habitats, mainly in the Calcareous Mountains of Europe and Central Asia, but also in Northern Africa, North and South America and temperate Australia. Erodium are grown for their attractive foliage and long flowering period. The leaves are opposite or alternate, and lobed, pinnate, or pinnatisect. In summer, they bear 5 petalled flowers, singly or in terminal umbels, the range from pink to purple, occasionally yellow or white, and resemble Geranium flowers but with 5 stamens and smaller. Grow in a rock garden, trough, plant the tall and more robust species at the front of a herbaceous border.
Grow in gritty, humus rich, sharply drained, neutral to alkaline soil that’s not to fertile, in full sun. Protect the smallest species from excessive winter moisture. Divide in spring.
Prone to leaf galls, and fungal stems rots.
E. glandulosum – E. macradenum – E. petraeum subsp. glandulosum – This compact, clump forming perennial from the Pyrenees grows 4-8″ tall and 8″ wide. It produces ovate-oblong, 2 pinnatifid, silvery, basal leaves, 1 ½-4″ long, with oblong to lance shaped divisions. In summer it bears clusters of up to 5 saucer shaped, pink flowers, to 1″ across, usually marked dark purple on the upper petals.
Zones 5-8
