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. chrysanthum – This dense, tufted, mound forming perennial from Greece grows 6″ tall and 15″ wide. It produces ovate, 2 pinnate, finely dissected, soft, silvery green leaves, to 1 ½” long, each with oblong to lance shaped leaflets. In summer atop of branching stems it carries umbels of 2-7 saucer shaped, creamy yellow to sulfur yellow, dioecious flowers, to 3/4″ across. It is a lovely plant for a sunny rock garden.
Zones 7-8
