Wood crane’s-bill
21 June 2010
Wood crane’s-bill is an attractive flower of meadows, verges, river banks, open woodlands and mountain ledges and slopes in upland areas of northern England. It occurs in some of the most scenic landscapes in England, including the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Sometimes known as thunder-flower, it belongs to the Geranium family and has beautiful blueish-violet flowers.
In its flower-rich upland hay meadow habitat, wood crane’s-bill is sustained by traditional hay making and grazing management.
Wood crane's-bill (c) Robert Goodison
Latin name: Geranium sylvaticum
Population numbers:
Wood crane’s-bill has undergone a decline over the last 50 years particularly from hay meadows. This has been due to agricultural improvement of upland hay meadows by increased use of chemical fertilisers coupled with a switch from hay making to silage production. However, even in meadows which are seemingly under beneficial management, it has continued to decline. It is possible that such declines may be due to a combination of factors including climate change, too heavy applications of farmyard manure and changes in the intensity and timing of spring grazing.
Where to see and when:
Wood crane’s-bill is in flower from mid-June until early July.
The most accessible places to see it are meadows and roadside verges in upland valleys in the Yorkshire Dales (e.g. Upper Swaledale, Upper Wharfedale) the northern Pennines (e.g. Upper Teesdale, Weardale (Durham) West Allendale and South Tynedale (Northumberland)) and western Cumbria. There are a number of National Nature Reserves where the plant can be seen including Moor House-Upper Teesdale (Durham), Gowk Bank and Sandybeck Meadow (both Cumbria).
What’s being done:
Many remaining upland meadows benefit from statutory protection or are managed under agri-environment schemes. In both cases, Natural England works with the owners/tenants to ensure appropriate management regimes are implemented. Research is currently underway to try to understand the reasons for its decline in hay meadows.
More information:
