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. reichardii – E. chamaedryoides – This compact, mound forming evergreen perennial from Corsica and the Balearic Islands grows 2-3″ tall and 6-8″ wide. It produces heart shaped, scalloped, slightly downy, dark green leaves, to ½” long. Through spring and summer it bears solitary, saucer shaped, red veined, white or pale pink flowers, ½” across, atop of very short stems.
Zones 8-9
