Geranium purpureum

Herb robert

Family: Geraniaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Herb robert is a naturalized annual found in northern coastal ranges, central coast, and San Francisco Bay Area in open to shaded sites at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering all year, this plant produces pink to red-purple flowers approximately 6 to 9 millimeters wide with yellow anthers. Growing with decumbent to ascending soft-haired stems 10 to 35 centimeters tall, it spreads with delicate branching habit. Its distinctive leaves are deeply divided into five segments, each pinnately lobed or dissected, with middle segments featuring up to 20 lobes in the upper half. The fruit develops as a small ribbed mericarp with long fibers at the tip, typical of the geranium family.

Habitat: Open to shaded sites

Bloom period: All year

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: NCoRO, NCoRI, CCo, SnFrB

California counties: Butte, Alameda, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Marin, Santa Clara, Solano, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.