Geranium pratense

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{speciesbox

|image = Meadow Cranesbill.jpg

|genus = Geranium

|species = pratense

|authority = L.

}}

Geranium pratense, the meadow crane's-bill{{BSBI 2007 |accessdate=2014-10-17 }} or meadow geranium,{{PLANTS|id=GEPR4|taxon=Geranium pratense|accessdate=19 January 2016}} is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to Europe and Asia.Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1968. Excursion Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0 521 04656 4}} Forming a clump up to {{convert| 1|m|ft|abbr=on}} broad, it is a herbaceous perennial with hairy stems and lax saucer-shaped blooms of pale violet. It is extremely hardy to at least {{convert|-20 |C|F|abbr=on}}, reflecting its origins in the Altai Mountains of central Asia.{{cite book | editor-last = Brickell | editor-first = Christopher | title = The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants | year = 2008 | page = 476 | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | location = United Kingdom | isbn = 9781405332965}}

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'{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Geraium pratense 'Mrs Kendal Clark'|url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/99080/Geranium-pratense-Mrs-Kendall-Clark/Details |accessdate=11 July 2020}} and 'Plenum Violaceum'{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Geranium pratense 'Plenum Violaceum'|url=

https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/44612/Geranium-pratense-Plenum-Violaceum-(d)/Details |accessdate=11 July 2020}} have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 42 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | accessdate = 2 March 2018}}

File:'Mrs. Kendall Clark' detail.jpg|'Mrs Kendal Clark'