Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Wild Geranium look-alike?

I think I've spotted Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) coming up lately, but I'm not sure. I'm posting an image of what I've been seeing, along with an image of identified wild geranium. One way to check would be to pull one up and see if they are growing out of a rhizome.

The root of wild geranium is commonly known as Cranesbill or spotted geranium, and it is astringent in nature. It works very well on the GI tract--so when you need to tighten and dry tissues in that area, this is where to look. Jim McDonald says this can be used to treat diarrhea after a few days to assist in helping your body be done with this process. Because the tissues weaken in this condition, the astringent can help tighten you back up. In a pinch, the leaves have been used topically to treat bleeding (hemostatic). This works by binding to things, like proteins, and tightening them up. The Iroquois believed that it could be used to counteract a love-charm! I'll keep this in mind for when I start acting a fool.











Resources

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVtmlAxUmc4
http://www.stolaf.edu/academics/naturallands/woodlands/ephemerals/wild-geranium.html

1 comment:

  1. Well, I've encountered true wild geranium (now beautifully in flower!), and this is definitely not it. Tell me your name, plant of Earthsea.

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