Meadow crane’s-bil in Wylam, Northumberland
Geranium pratense, the meadow crane’s-bill or meadow geranium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to Europe and Asia. Forming a clump roughly 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and broad, it is a herbaceous perennial with hairy stems and lax saucer-shaped blooms of pale violet. It is extremely hardy to at least −20 °C (−4 °F), reflecting its origins in the Altai Mountains of central Asia.
The leaves are deeply divided into 7-9 lobes and 3-6 inch wide and the flowers are pale blue, although getting paler into the centre. The flowers have 5 petals, which sometimes have veins. The stamens have pink-purple stalks with dark purple anthers.
Several cultivars are available for garden use, of which ‘Mrs Kendall Clark’[5] and ‘Plenum violaceum’ have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.