Bloomipedia
Pinewoods geranium (Geranium caespitosum)
Photo: Bob Walker via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Pinewoods geranium

Geranium caespitosum

Pinewoods geranium (Geranium caespitosum) is a low shrub in the Geraniaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Pinewoods geranium is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.

7states where USDA records it
3Bloomipedia state lists include it
8,141U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico

Quick look

Geranium caespitosum, the purple cluster geranium or pineywoods geranium, is a perennial herb native to the western United States and northern Mexico. Its US distribution includes Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

  • It belongs to the Geraniaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 7 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. NatureServe
  • In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
  • In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,292 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #41 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,554 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #36 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,120 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #14 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (479 records)
Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
ColoradoNativeJune–August3,292
ArizonaNativeJune–September2,554
New MexicoNativeJune–September2,120

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Resolved Taxon,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
Colorado
No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Colorado.
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
New Mexico
Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
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 pinewoods geranium in 7 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Archuleta, Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Douglas, El Paso, Gilpin, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jefferson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Ouray, Park, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Miguel, Summit, Teller, Weld.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Yavapai.

New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union, Valencia.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 95 counties across 7 states; the most are in Colorado (32), New Mexico (24), Utah (17).

Other Geranium on Bloomipedia (8): Wild geranium, Herb robert, Carolina crane's-bill, Dove's-foot crane's-bill, Richardson's geranium, Sticky 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 Colorado flowers

Redstem stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium)

Redstem stork's-bill

Erodium cicutarium

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: March–May
Richardson's geranium (Geranium richardsonii)

Richardson's geranium

Geranium richardsonii

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–August
Great mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: July–October

Sources