Geum urbanum
wood avens
Overview
Geum urbanum is an upright perennial of the rose family, native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, growing 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall from a basal rosette. The lower leaves are pinnately divided into a large, lobed terminal leaflet with smaller side leaflets, while the upper leaves are smaller and three-parted. From late spring through summer it bears small yellow flowers about 0.4-0.6 inch (1-1.5 cm) across, each with five widely spaced petals. The flowers give way to rounded heads of dry seeds, each tipped with a hooked, reddish bristle formed from the persistent style. These hooks catch on fur and clothing, carrying the seeds to new ground. The plant self-sows freely and can spread quickly through gardens and waste places. Its thick root has a clove-like scent and was historically used as a flavoring and in herbal medicine. G. urbanum grows in shaded and partly shaded sites on moist, fertile soils, and is often found at woodland edges, in hedgerows, and on disturbed ground. In milder climates the basal rosette stays partly evergreen through winter.
Native Range
Geum urbanum is native to Europe, western and central Asia, and North Africa. It grows in damp woodland, hedge banks, shaded roadsides, and disturbed ground, and has naturalized in parts of North America and elsewhere as an introduced weed.Suggested Uses
Geum urbanum is grown in informal woodland and cottage plantings and in wildlife or herb gardens for its long flowering and clove-scented root. It tolerates dry shade where many perennials struggle. In many gardens it behaves as a self-seeding wildflower rather than a placed planting.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 2'
Width/Spread10" - 1'
Bloom Information
Flowering runs from late spring through late summer, roughly May to August, with a long succession of small yellow flowers a few at a time. Each flower lasts only briefly, but new buds open over many weeks. Hooked seed heads follow and ripen from midsummer onward.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Tolerates up to 6 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
