Ah, Alpine Geranium. A fine choice for the garden.

All plants Card

Alpine Geranium

Erodium reichardii

Zones 2–13

Growing

This creeping perennial excels as a resilient, evergreen mat that functions beautifully as a lawn alternative or a way to fill the gaps between pavers. Because it spreads quickly by dropping its own seeds, you can establish a dense carpet that naturally suppresses weeds. It is particularly well-suited for rockeries, alpine gardens, or planting under trees, provided the area does not become waterlogged. While it can handle light, occasional foot traffic, avoid heavy trampling to maintain the integrity of the low mat.

When starting from seed or transplanting indoor starts, ensure the soil remains well-drained and stays within a slightly acidic to neutral pH range. If you wish to expand your collection, you can also propagate the plant through division. As the plant matures, you may notice its unique fruit, which features a long, pointed shape reminiscent of a bird's beak. This characteristic is why many members of this genus are commonly referred to as stork's-bills. For a more colorful display, look for specific hybrids like 'Roseum' to add rose-pink tones to your garden borders.

Stats
Sunfull sun
Waterlow
Grow time—
Height<1ft
Spacing6–12in
Light
Full sun✓
Part shade✓
Shade✗
Traits
Life cycleperennial
Categorycreeping perennial
Growth habitground cover
Frost tolerancehardy
Heightunder 1ft
Spacing6–12in
Native us✗
Growing
Waterlow
Drainagewell drained
Soil ph min5.5
Soil ph max7.5
Propagation
Seed✓
Cutting✗
Division✓
Graft✗
Tuber bulb crown✗
Transplant✓
Container ok✓
Spreadself seeds
Deer resistant✓
Drought tolerant✓
Toxic to
People✗
Pets—
Livestock—
Bloom
Length6–12wk
Colors
White✓
Yellow✗
Orange✗
Red✗
Pink✓
Purple✓
Blue✗
Green✗
Cover
Mat height2–6in
Spread ratefast
Foot trafficlight
Evergreen✓
Lawn alternative✓
Mowable✗
Between pavers✓
Erosion control✗
Weed suppression✓
Under trees✓
Invasive
Statusnone
Regions
Northeast✗
Southeast✗
Midwest✗
Plains✗
Southwest✗
Mountain west✗
Pacific northwest✗
California✗
Hawaii✗
State noxious✗
Escapes cultivation✗
Calendar, zone 7
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sownoyesyesyesnononononononono
Harvest————————————