Photo: Paul Hermans, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Perennial · Geraniaceae

Dusky cranesbill

Geranium phaeum

In other languages: Donkere ooievaarsbek (Nederlands) · Géranium brun (Français)

Dusky cranesbill comes from the mountain woods and meadows of central and southern Europe and has naturalised in places, including on old country estates. It forms a clump of soft, deeply hand-shaped leaves, often blotched with purple-brown, above which slender stems up to 60 cm rise in May and June, carrying small, nodding flowers. The petals have wavy edges and a deep brownish purple, almost black colour with a white centre. Gardeners value it because it flowers in partial shade and shade under trees, where few other perennials do well. There are also forms with lilac flowers (var. lividum), white flowers (‘Album’) or strongly blotched leaves (‘Samobor’).

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Partial shade or shade
tolerates little sun
Moisture
Dry to normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
any pH
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -35 °C
Size
0.6 m
tall, 0.45 m wide
Flowering
May–June

Key facts
Pruning months	March and June–July
Height	0.6 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous
Flowering	May–June

Identify

Dusky cranesbill: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Upright clump with a mass of leaves 30–40 cm tall and flower stems up to 60 cm; about 45 cm across.
Leaves: Deeply hand-shaped, softly hairy and light green; often with purple-brown blotches between the lobes.
Flower: Small, nodding flowers of about 2 cm, with wavy petals spread flat or slightly swept back and protruding stamens; in May and June.
Colour: Deep brownish purple to almost black with a white centre; var. lividum is lilac, ‘Album’ white.
Fruit: A beak-shaped fruit that splits open and flings out the seed; it self-seeds.
Roots: A short, sturdy rhizome; the clump slowly grows wider.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March and June–July

In your garden

Why grow it?

Flowers in partial shade and shade, even in the fairly dry soil under trees and shrubs.
An unusual, almost black-purple flower colour that you rarely see in gardens.
Bees and bumblebees love to visit the flowers in May and June.
In many forms the leaves are blotched and attractive even when not in flower.
After cutting back, fresh leaves soon appear, sometimes with a few late flowers.
Tough, fully hardy and little work.

Dusky cranesbill: where does it grow best?

Partial shade to shade: under trees, in a woodland border or on the north side of a wall. A hot, sunny spot is neither needed nor ideal.
Any ordinary garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
Dry to normally moist: it copes with the dry shade under trees better than most perennials.
In poor or very dry soil, some leaf mould helps it get going.
Plant 40–45 cm apart, in groups of three or more.

Light: Partial shade and shade
Soil type: Sand, loam or clay
Acidity: Not fussy
Moisture: Dry or normal
Size: 0.6 m tall, 0.45 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

Ferns: Fine green leaves in the same shade, as a calm backdrop for the dark flowers.
Sweet woodruff: Little white stars in May, as ground cover beneath the dark flowers.
Red campion: Pink flowers in May and June in partial shade: a lovely contrast with the near-black.
Lady’s mantle: Frothy yellow flowers that make the dark colour stand out.
Hosta: Large, calm leaves beside the small, dark flowers.

Maintenance

Dusky cranesbill: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

Plant in March–April or September–October; planted in autumn, it has time to root before the dry summer.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in leaf mould, especially under trees.
Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil well.
Leave 40–45 cm between plants.
Water well straight away; under trees, water regularly in the first year.
Spread a layer of leaf mould as a mulch around the base.

Care

Water: In the first year during dry spells. Under trees, also later in long dry periods.
Feeding: A layer of compost or leaf mould in spring is enough.
Mulching: A layer of leaf mould in spring keeps the soil cool and moist, especially in the dry shade under trees.
After flowering: Cut the flower stems and old leaves back to just above the ground: this gives fresh leaves and limits self-seeding.
Dividing: Every 4–5 years, or when you want more plants.

Tip: Plant it next to pale colours or where light falls on the flowers from the side, otherwise the almost black flowers disappear into the shade. Cut it back after flowering for fresh leaves and fewer seedlings.

Dusky cranesbill: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and June–July.

When: After flowering, in late June or July. In March, tidy away the old, damaged leaves.

How:

After flowering, cut all flower stems and old leaves back to 5–10 cm above the ground.
Then water: within a few weeks a fresh clump of new leaves grows, sometimes with a few late flowers.
If you want seedlings, leave a few stems until the seed is ripe.
In March, cut away any leaves that have become shabby over winter.

Caution: Do not wait too long after flowering: as soon as the beaks turn brown, it is already flinging out its seed.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division: In March–April or September–October, lift the clump, split it into pieces each with roots and a few shoots, and replant straight away.
Seedlings: It self-seeds freely. Move young seedlings in spring to where you want them. Seedlings of cultivars often do not look like the parent.
Seed: Collect the ripe seed in summer and sow it straight away in a pot outdoors; it germinates in autumn or the following spring.

Dusky cranesbill: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

Fully hardy, to about −35 °C: no protection is needed.
In mild winters a rosette of leaves remains; the old leaves can stay until March.
In a pot: stand it in the shade against a wall and keep the compost slightly moist, not wet.

Diseases and pests

Shabby leaves: After flowering the leaves become spotted and yellow. Cutting back to just above the ground gives fresh leaves within a few weeks.
Too many seedlings: It self-seeds readily in the border. Cut off spent stems in time and weed out seedlings while young.
Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in dry weather. Water and cut off affected leaves; cutting back also helps.
Slugs: They eat young leaves in spring, especially in damp, shady spots. Pick them off in the evening or set a beer trap.

Through the year

March: Cut away old leaves. Give leaf mould. Plant and divide.
April: Plant and divide. New leaves emerge; watch for slugs.
May: In flower. Bees and bumblebees visit.
June: Full bloom. After flowering, in late June, cut back.
July: Cut back if not done yet. Water for fresh leaves.
August: Fresh leaves. Water in dry spells, especially under trees.
September: Plant and divide.
October: Plant. Mulch with leaf mould.
December: Resting. In mild winters a rosette of leaves remains.

Use

Good for wildlife

Bees: Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

You and this species

Did you know?

The species name phaeum comes from the Greek phaios, ‘dark’ or ‘dusky’. In English it is also called mourning widow, after its almost black flowers.
In the Netherlands it counts as a ‘stinsenplant’, a plant of old estates: it was planted there long ago and has held its own ever since.
The cultivar ‘Samobor’, with large dark blotches on its leaves, is named after the small Croatian town of Samobor, where it was found.

Garden plants · All species