Photo: Original uploader was Sannse at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗

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WildflowersSeen in the wild

Geranium robertianum

Herb-Robert

Small pink flowers hide at wall bases and in shade, with often reddish stems and long beak-like fruits.

See all four seasons Explore fruits, seeds & edibility ↓ Where to look & how to find it ↓

Some plants are poisonous. Do not identify by a photograph alone, and never taste them.

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Habitat first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Often flowers April–November.
Where to start: Old walls and woodland paths across Ireland. The scientific name anchors identification where common names vary.
What to do when you arrive: At shaded old walls and woodland paths, find small pink flowers, then divided leaves, reddish stems and beaked fruits. No rubbing, wall-climbing or pulling is needed.

Habitat and behaviour reference: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

ONE PLANT · FOUR SEASONS

One plant. Four seasons.

Look beyond the flowers: fresh leaves, fruits, bare stems and dormancy.

Meteorological seasons: spring March–May, summer June–August, autumn September–November and winter December–February. Irish weather, cultivar, pruning and plant age affect timing and appearance.

Photos illustrate the relevant feature, not the same plant photographed through a year in Ireland. Features shared across seasons, such as evergreen leaves, may use the same reference. Missing reliable photos are marked; dormancy is not death.

Spring

Mar–May

Foliage and growth

Divided leaves and reddish slender stems grow, with small pink flowers from spring.

Summer

Jun–Aug

Flowers

Five-petalled pink flowers and long beaked fruits often appear together.

Autumn

Sep–Nov

Seeds and spent flowers

Flowers may continue; leaves can redden with exposure or cold as fruits mature.

Winter

Dec–Feb

Foliage and growth

Some plants overwinter as small rosettes or seedlings, while older plants may die.

Seasonal references: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

FRUIT · SEED · FOOD SAFETY

Fruits, seeds & edibility

Know the structure, then the part. Recognising a plant does not make it food.

Fruit

The long-beaked schizocarp separates into five parts when mature.

Food use of this part: Food safety not established by this guide

Seeds & dispersal units

Herb-Robert · Extracted Herb-Robert seeds with a millimetre scale. — Extracted Herb-Robert seeds with a millimetre scale.
Stefan.lefnaer · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ License terms

Each mericarp contains a small brown seed; the beak is not the seed itself.

Food use of this part: Food safety not established by this guide

Some seed references show intact one-seeded fruits or dispersal units, as identified in their captions. A whole-fruit photo is not a close-up of the enclosed seed. Cones and arils are not true fruits of flowering plants.

Sources & limitations

Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Botanical description, not proof of food safety
BSBI Fermanagh · Geranium robertianum ↗ · Botanical description, not proof of food safety

No field detoxification methods or safe doses are provided. Never taste a plant to identify it or eat treated or contaminated specimens. Seek professional help after suspected accidental ingestion. National Poisons Information Centre, Ireland ↗

Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

BOTANICAL NOTESPlant notes

How to identify it

Five pink petals marked by paler lines; deeply cut hairy leaves and stems, followed by elongated beaked fruits.

Where it grows

Shaded wall bases, shingle, hedges and woodland.

Growth and ecology

An annual or biennial able to grow in shady crevices. Compare leaves and fruits with other crane's-bills.

Flowering and seasons

Often flowers April–November.

Where to look

Old walls and woodland paths across Ireland. The scientific name anchors identification where common names vary.

Seasons vary with weather and location. Suggested habitats are places to look, not guaranteed sightings. Photos show only some features; check leaves, flowers, fruits and specialist references together.

Further reading:Wildflowers of Ireland ↗

Photo license: Original uploader was Sannse at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗ · License terms ↗
Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

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