MEADOW CRANESBILL (Geranium Pratense)

20cm bare-root super-plug (perennial).

Meadow Cranesbill is one of Britain's most spectacular native wildflowers, renowned for its large, vibrant violet-blue flowers and long flowering season. Forming impressive clumps of deeply divided foliage, this elegant perennial brings a burst of colour to traditional hay meadows, roadside verges and wildlife-friendly gardens throughout the summer. Its striking blooms are among the largest of any native cranesbill, making it a standout feature in species-rich wildflower plantings.

This hardy perennial thrives in sunny or lightly shaded locations and prefers fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soils. Naturally found in meadows, field margins and riverside grasslands, Meadow Cranesbill is particularly well suited to traditional wildflower meadows where it can establish strong, long-lived colonies. Although slow to 'get going' once established, it requires little maintenance and returns year after year with increasing vigour, contributing both structure and colour to natural planting schemes.

Meadow Cranesbill is highly attractive to pollinating insects and plays an important role in supporting biodiversity. Its open, nectar-rich flowers draw in a wide variety of bumblebees, honeybees, solitary bees and hoverflies throughout the flowering season. The abundance of blooms produced by mature plants provides a reliable source of nectar and pollen during the height of summer, making it a valuable addition to any pollinator-friendly meadow or garden.

Flowering from June to August, and often continuing into September in favourable conditions, Meadow Cranesbill typically reaches heights of 60cm. Following flowering, it produces the distinctive beak-shaped seed heads that give all cranesbills their common name. Its rich blue-purple flowers combine beautifully with Black Knapweed, Field Scabious, Oxeye Daisy and Lady's Bedstraw, creating the classic appearance of a traditional British wildflower meadow. Whether planted for its ornamental beauty, pollinator value or contribution to meadow restoration, Meadow Cranesbill is a superb native species that delivers colour, wildlife interest and seasonal charm in abundance.