Bloomipedia
Dove's-foot crane's-bill (Geranium molle)
Photo: Elizabeth Green via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Dove's-foot crane's-bill

Geranium molle

Dove's-foot crane's-bill (Geranium molle) is a flowering plant in the Geraniaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Not native to Delaware

Dove's-foot crane's-bill is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In Delaware it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

34states where USDA records it
189DE sightings*
8,782U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Delaware

Quick look

Geranium molle, the dove's-foot crane's-bill or dovesfoot geranium, is an annual herbaceous plant of the family Geraniaceae.

  • It belongs to the Geraniaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 34 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as not native to Delaware. NatureServe
  • In Delaware, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 189 research-grade sightings of it in Delaware, ranking #77 among the 164 flowers on our Delaware list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Delaware, most flowering sightings come in April–May.

Flowering records by month in Delaware (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (59 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records dove's-foot crane's-bill in 34 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 263 counties across 26 states; the most are in Virginia (66), California (28), Washington (21).

Other Geranium on Bloomipedia (8): Wild geranium, Herb robert, Carolina crane's-bill, Richardson's geranium, Sticky geranium, Pinewoods geranium, Shining crane's-bill, Woolly cranesbill.

More from the Geraniaceae family (11 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Redstem stork's-bill, Mediterranean stork's-bill, Musk stork's-bill.

More Delaware flowers

Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Wild geranium

Geranium maculatum

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in DE
Redstem stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium)

Redstem stork's-bill

Erodium cicutarium

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in DE
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in DE

Sources