Red stems, fern-like divided leaves and small bright pink five-petalled flowers on a shady bank, with a strong smell when crushed
Herb robert — Geranium robertianum.
Nature · Wildflowers & flowers
Herb robert
Native · flowers May–Sep · woodland edges, walls, shady banks
Geranium robertianum — Geraniaceae
Herb robert is a sprawling, red-stemmed, ferny-leaved wild geranium found in woodland edges, hedge banks and on old walls, with small bright pink flowers from May to September. It has a strong, pungent smell when crushed and a rich folklore, including an association with the goblin Robin Goodfellow.
How to spot them
- ▸Reddish, hairy, brittle stems, sprawling to about 30 cm, especially red in bright sun
- ▸Deeply cut, palmately divided, fern-like leaves about 6 cm long, often turning red in autumn
- ▸Bright pink, five-petalled flowers about 1.5 cm across with white stripes and orange anthers
- ▸Pungent smell when the plant is crushed, hence stinking Bob
- ▸Look-alikes: hedgerow cranesbill (Geranium pyrenaicum) and dove's-foot cranesbill (Geranium molle) have less divided, rounded leaves and less pink or smaller flowers
How to know it
Some believe it takes its name from Robin Goodfellow, the house goblin also known as Puck; others say an eleventh-century monk who cured people with it
Herb robert.
Folk names for this pink geranium include death-come-quickly, stinking Bob, red robin and squinter-pip
Herb robert.
Its crushed leaves were rubbed on skin as an insect repellent, and a sprig carried for luck and fertility
Herb robert.
Growing in rocky, sunny places turns its stems crimson, and it is food for the barred carpet moth
Herb robert.
Hairy, ferny-leaved wild geranium that is common and widespread across Britain and Ireland, not thought to be under threat
Herb robert.
Quick-fire facts
- •Family Geraniaceae; genus Geranium comes from the Greek for crane, from the beak-like fruit
- •Woodland Trust: flowers May to September; a low-growing biennial with reddish stems
- •Common names include red robin, death-come-quickly, stinking Bob and squinter-pip
- •Traditionally used as an antiseptic and for stomach upset and nosebleeds
- •Leaves are edible, used for tea, and crushed and rubbed on skin as an insect repellent
- •Traditionally carried for good luck and fertility
- •Name thought to derive from Robin Goodfellow (Puck) or an eleventh-century monk named Robert
- •Foodplant and nectar source for many invertebrates including bees, hoverflies and the barred carpet moth
Drill it — 6 cards
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Sources
- Woodland Trust — Herb-robert (Geranium robertianum)