Carolina geranium, sometimes known as cranesbill, is a native, cool season annual or biennial forb. It can be found growing on many different soils across the U.S., from gravel to clay.

The plant is a low growing, multi-branched member of the geranium family. It seldom reaches a height of more than a foot and has multi-lobed, 5-part leaves with small white or pink 5-petaled flowers that occur from March to July.

Carolina geranium is not really known for being good forage for domestic livestock, but is utilized by cattle, sheep and whitetail deer when the plant is in the vegetative stage before flowers appear.

Carolina geranium can be an invasive, weedy species in some situations, but can be controlled with herbicides.

Editor’s note: Kent Ferguson, retired rangeland management specialist from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is providing us with plant identification photo stories to help ranchers identify those forbs, forages and species growing in the pastures. Additional photos provided by USDA NRCS.

Carolina Geranium is excerpted from the February 2015 issue of The Cattleman magazine.