Flower profile
Mediterranean stork's-bill
Erodium botrys
Mediterranean stork's-bill is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Erodium botrys is a species of flowering plant in the geranium family known by the common names longbeak stork's bill, Mediterranean stork's-bill and broadleaf filaree.
- It belongs to the Geraniaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 0.8 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 13,447 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #60 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Mediterranean stork's-bill gift ideas
Handmade mediterranean stork's-bill gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
-
Placeholder
Mediterranean stork's-bill art print
-
Placeholder
Mediterranean stork's-bill greeting card
-
Placeholder
Mediterranean stork's-bill mug
-
Placeholder
Mediterranean stork's-bill earrings
-
Placeholder
Mediterranean stork's-bill embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Mediterranean stork's-bill sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in March–June.
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
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- 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?
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.
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 mediterranean stork's-bill in 6 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Texas, Vermont.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ERBO.
- iNaturalist, Erodium botrys: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Erodium botrys (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Erodium botrys (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Justin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.