Overview
Erodium moschatum is an annual to biennial herb forming a basal rosette 6-16 inches (15-40 cm) across, with sprawling flower stems 4-24 inches (10-60 cm) long. Leaves are pinnately compound, 2-8 inches (5-20 cm) long, with 7-13 pairs of oval, coarsely toothed leaflets, and give off a musky odor when crushed. Stems and leaves are covered in soft glandular hairs. Flowers are borne in stalked clusters of 5-12, each 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) across with five pink to lavender petals and purple anthers. Each flower lasts about one day. The fruit is a slender beaked structure 1-1.6 inches (2.5-4 cm) long resembling a stork bill; at maturity it splits into five segments, each with a spirally coiling awn that drives the seed into the soil. Flowering runs from late winter through spring. Plants complete their life cycle in one season in mild climates and die after seeding. In trampled or grazed ground the rosette stays flat and compact.
Native Range
Native to the Mediterranean Basin and western Europe. Naturalized across North America, South America, southern Africa, and Australia, where it grows in pastures, roadsides, gardens, and other disturbed open ground, mostly below 3,000 feet (900 m).Suggested Uses
Generally treated as a weed of lawns, pastures, and cultivated ground rather than a planted species. It colonizes bare disturbed soil and contributes early-spring forage on rangeland. It is not commonly sold or grown ornamentally.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 2'
Width/Spread6" - 1'4"
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pink to lavenderFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established