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Herb Robert

Geranium robertianum

Found in rocky woodlands, especially over calcareous rocks. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

78
Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height
Up to about 2 feet
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to average
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual

Not yet recorded · Spread · Light · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 5 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 114 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

26CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Geranium

  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Apamea devastatorGlassy Borer, Glassy Cutworm Moth
  • Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
  • Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Show all 26
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Lacinipolia loreaBridled Arches, Bridle Groundcat
  • Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
  • Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
  • Spargania magnoliataDouble-Banded Carpet
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
15BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Geranium

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Geranium

  • Andrena distans
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
11BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Geranium

  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
  • Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
  • Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
  • Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
Show all 11
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Geraniaceae
Flower color
Pink or purple

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Virginia rankS3
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources