Additional notes (click to expand)

Medicinal

Historical uses. Geranium sanguineum L. Geraniaceae Dusky cranesbill. Herbaceous perennial. Distribution: Europe and temperate Asia. County flower of Northumberland. This seems to be the 'Sanguin geranium or Blood Roote', Geranium haematodes/haematites, of Lyte (1578). He writes that it is 'not used in Medicyne.' Parkinson (1640) classifies cranesbills somewhat differently, but says that 'all are found to be effectual both in inward and outward wounds, to stay bleedings, vomitings and fluxes, eyther the decoction of the herbe or the powder of the leaves and roots used as the cause demands.
Oakeley, Dr. Henry F. (2013). Wellcome Library notes. link

Geographical distribution

  • Asia-Temperate, Caucasus, Transcaucasus
  • Asia-Temperate, Western Asia, Turkey
  • Europe, Eastern Europe, Belarus
  • Europe, Eastern Europe, Central European Russia
  • Europe, Eastern Europe, East European Russia
  • Europe, Eastern Europe, South European Russia
  • Europe, Eastern Europe, Ukraine
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Austria
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Belgium
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Germany
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Hungary
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Poland
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Slovakia
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Switzerland
  • Europe, Northern Europe, Denmark
  • Europe, Northern Europe, Finland
  • Europe, Northern Europe, Great Britain
  • Europe, Northern Europe, Ireland
  • Europe, Northern Europe, Norway
  • Europe, Northern Europe, Sweden
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Albania
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Bulgaria
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Czech Republic
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Greece
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Italy
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Romania
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Yugoslavia
  • Europe, Southwestern Europe, France
  • Europe, Southwestern Europe, Portugal
  • Europe, Southwestern Europe, Spain

Geranium sanguineum L.

Family: GERANIACEAE
Genus: Geranium
Species: sanguineum L.
Common names: Bloody cranesbill; Blood red cranesbill
Distribution summary: Eurasia
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: H5 - Hardy; cold winter
Habitat: Dry, grassy slopes amongst rocks , usually on calcareous soils
Garden status: Currently grown
Garden location: Plants of the World (B)
Flowering months: June, July
Reason for growing: Medicinal


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