Geranium robertianum (Herb Robert) is an annual or biennial herb plant that is native to most of the northern hemisphere from Britain to Japan. Herb Robert is an easy to grow medicinal plant that prefers shade or part-sun, can tolerate light frosts and drought periods and is small and compact. Poultices made of the fresh leaves are used to treat bruises, sore joints and to stem bleeding.
Suitable for Temperate, Dry and Sub-Tropical Climates.
Geranium robertianum is a species of cranesbill and is also commonly called Robert’s Geranium, Death Come Quickly or sometimes nicknamed Smelly Bob due to the odour of freshly picked leaves. In Britain it is sometimes referred to as Robin’s Flower.
The plant is considered invasive in some regions of the world, particularly in the northern hemisphere, but can sometimes be difficult to source here in Australia.
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Growth
Geranium robertianum is an annual/biennial or in some climates a short-lived perennial that grows to the modest height of 40cm by 40cm wide. Herb Robert grows natively in disturbed meadows, wastelands, woodlands and on shingle beaches. It tolerates a wide range of soils and conditions although prefers a shady or part-sun position.
The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems and are shaped either ternate or palmate. Along with the stems, the leaves can range in colour from completely green to bright red which can vary depending the amount of sunlight it receives. As the plant prepares to flower, it grows stems from the axils which can either be vertical or sprawl along the ground.
In colder climates, Herb Robert will grow as an annual and die off prior to the Winter having flowered from early Summer and dropped seeds towards late-Summer and into the Autumn. Warmer climates can often see plants into their second or even third growing seasons and may have additional flowering periods. The pink flowers grow in pairs from early Spring to late Autumn.
Harvesting the fresh leaves can be successfully achieved from established plants from mid-Spring right through to the Autumn. The seeds can be quite challenging to collect. When they are ripe, the awn curls upwards explosively from the base and ejects the seeds a distance of up to a metre from the parent plant. They can be collected just prior to this with a paper bag or individually by hand.
Note: Germination instructions can be found in the ‘Germination Instructions Tab’ below. Upon purchase you will receive these detailed instructions via email so that you have a permanent record.
FAMILY:
Geraniaceae
CLIMATE:
Cold, Temperate, Dry and Sub-Tropical
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
-10-30°C / 14-86°F
SOIL TYPE:
Well-draining, sandy or loamy.
LOCATION:
Shade or Part-Shade.
HEIGHT:
Up to 40cm (16 inches)
WIDTH:
Up to 40cm (16 inches)
pH:
6.0-7.5
GROWTH TYPE:
Annual/Biennial sometimes short-lived Perennial.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Light
POLLINATION:
Insects.
MATURITY:
9-24 months.
GERMINATION RATES:
65-85%
GERMINATION TIME:
7-14 days at temperatures between 15-25°C / 59-77°F.
GERMINATION DIFFICULTY:
Easy
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 650
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
Yes
WEED POTENTIAL:
Yes
EDIBLE:
No
SEED STORAGE & VIABILITY:
Cold Storage at 4°C (Fridge) up to 2-3 years.
FACTS ABOUT GERANIUM ROBERTIANUM (Herb Robert)
The value of Geranium robertianum as a medicinal herb is challenging to ascertain. Well-known herbalists such as Mrs Grieve didn’t use Herb Robert while folk medicine has used the leaves and stems for centuries. Modern studies have shown the leaves can lower blood sugar levels which can assist with diabetes.
Folk medicine uses the leaves to make an infusions (internal) or poultices (external) that can be applied to stem bleeding, ease painful joints, stomach ailments, wounds and bruises. Breastfeeding mothers have been known to apply the fresh leaves to ease pain between nursing.
When rubbed against the skin, the fresh leaves are said to repel mosquitoes.
As for the name Herb Robert, there are several possibilities of the origin but none of certainty. Some suggest it comes from Saint Robert due to a German name ruprechtskraut or of Saint Robert of Molesme or possibly derived from Robin Goodfellow, a part of northern Europe mythology.
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