Geranium thunbergii

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Geranium thunbergii
Light:Full Sun
Moisture:Mesic
Hardiness:7
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:1'
Native to:
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Geranium thunbergii

Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.

Division in spring or autumn. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation: Succeeds in any moderately fertile retentive soil in a sunny position[1]. Tolerates a wide range of soil types[1].

Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[2].

Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.

Habitat: Grassy places in lowland areas all over Japan[3].

Edibility: Young leaves[4]. No further details are given.

Old leaves, when the plant is at the peak of its growth, are used as a tea substitute[4].

Medicinal: The whole plant is astringent[5].

Pollinators: Insects

Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  2. Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
  3. Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
  5. Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.