Annuals Dictionary: Erodium
Geranium family
Geraniaceae
Ee-ro’di-um. Nearly 60 species of widely distributed herbs, a few grown for ornament, some weedy, a few planted for forage in dry regions, and 2 important as bee plants in Calif. Commonly called stork’s-bill or heron’s-bill.
Description
Leaves generally divided or compound, feather-fashion. Flowers in auxillary umbels; sepals and petals 5 each.
How to Grow
Easy to grow in average to dry soil. Sow seeds in spring after the danger of frost is past. Prefers cool weather.
Erodium cicutarium
Pin-Clover ; Alfilaria ; Filaree . To 18 in. (45 cm) high, erect or sprawling. Flowers ? in. (6 mm) wide, purplish or pink, bracts united. S. Europe, but naturalized in the U.S. Best known of the heron’s-bills, widely cultivated for forage, and for bees in Calif.; a serious weed in western states. Hardy annual.