Wild Way: advanced gardening for nature by Jack Wallington

Wild Way: advanced gardening for nature by Jack Wallington

Wild Plant A-Z

Geranium robertianum | herb robert

Wild geranium for dry shade and harsh conditions

Nov 10, 2025
∙ Paid
Geranium robertianum | herb robert
Geranium robertianum, herb Robert, I planted at the top of a shaded problem area in the hope it will spread

One of my top wildflowers from my book Wild about Weeds is Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum. I love its lacy leaves dotted with the tiny stars of pink flowers, both lasting pretty much all year. Fantastic in dry shade where it proliferates adding colour where so few other plants can. If Herb Robert weren’t classified as a weed I’m convinced people would pay good money for this plant down the garden centre.

  • Max size: 40cm high, 40cm wide

  • Origin: temperate northern hemisphere, North Africa

  • Life: annual, biennial, occasional short-lived perennial

Our garden is distinctly lacking in Herb Robert, so I took one of the few plants we do have from the driveway and planted it at the top of a deeply shaded sloping area a couple of years ago. It’s a tricky full shade belt beneath deciduous trees between our garden and meadow.

In this area I only want to grow wildflowers as a preventative meas…

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