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Geranium sylvaticum

Wood Crane's-bill · Woodland Crane's-bill · Woodland Geranium

Family GeraniaceaeGenus Geranium

Two violet-purple flowers on hairy stems, with green buds and lobed, toothed leaves below
FlowerPhilipp WeigellCC BY 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
VioletRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Albania, Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Read from the photograph on this page — Deno's Garden; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Sylvaticum means "of woodland", like its common name, wood cranesbill. In gardens it is particularly useful for planting under deciduous trees, roses, lilies and other summer-flowering plants. Wikipedia: Geranium sylvaticum

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 3, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 2, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  4. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  5. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    1/10 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 3 run on after germination.

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 5 days.

40% germination in 3–5 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Geranium p. 46Public domain
Show the original text
Geranium (Geraniaceae). G. sylvaticum germ. 70D-40-70D(l/l0 on 4th d)- 40-70D(1/10 on 6th d), 70L-40-70D(4/10 in 3-5 d)-40-70D(1/10 on 5th d), and 40-70D- 40-70D{1/9 on 5th d)-40{1/9).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Geranium p. 46. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around April 5, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on April 4, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  4. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  5. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 12 months from start to step 5. Germination happens during step 5, in 6 days.

10% germination in 6 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Geranium p. 46Public domain
Show the original text
Geranium (Geraniaceae). G. sylvaticum germ. 70D-40-70D(l/l0 on 4th d)- 40-70D(1/10 on 6th d), 70L-40-70D(4/10 in 3-5 d)-40-70D(1/10 on 5th d), and 40-70D- 40-70D{1/9 on 5th d)-40{1/9).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Geranium p. 46. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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