Wild Geranium

We in Barbados know this plant as “Wild Geranium”. I don’t know the scientific name for it, and it probably goes by a lot of other names too, but for me, it’s “Wild Geranium”.

Wild Geranium is basically a weed - you won’t find it being sold in any plant nurseries anywhere on the island. And it literally grows on rocks - that is clearly visible in the photos. It does not seem to transplant well, as with most weeds and wild plants, however, it loves the more rugged conditions found on the north and east coasts of Barbados.

The leaf is what I would call “frilly”, and if you brush by it gently there is a slight aroma not unlike Wild Sage, a very herby smell but I don’t know if it’s actually edible. My photos were taken on a cliff on the east coast of Barbados where, literally, a few grains of soil collect in pockets on the rock, and it seems to be more than enough for Wild Geranium to grow and thrive.

Non descript pale green flowers die off and are replaced by a long stalk of “fruit”. These dry up and turn brown and the cycle continues. Wild Geranium is great ground cover in salty dry areas, which is a blessing for people who live on the more rugged east coast of the island as many things don’t grow well with all the salt and wind.