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. corsicum – This mat forming perennial from sea cliffs of Corsica and Sardinia grows 3″ tall and 8″ wide. It produces ovate, crumpled, silvery downy, gray-green leaves, ½” long, with scalloped edges. From late spring to summer, short, branched stems carry umbels of 1-3 saucer shaped, rose pink flowers, to 3/4″ across, with darker veins.
Zones 4-7
