Richardson's Geranium

Richardson's geranium
Richardson's cranesbill
white geranium

More info for the terms: caudex, herb

Richardson's geranium is a native, perennial herb 12 to 36 inches (30-90
cm) tall [21,24,29,40]. It grows from a stout, simple or branched,
sometimes rhizomatous caudex [21,28,42,58,59]. Young plants (1-3 years)
generally do not have rhizomes; older plants develop rhizomes in the
upper 2.8 to 4.0 inches (7-10 cm) of soil [21]. Rhizomes are 1.2 to 6.8
inches (3-17 cm) long and arise from a stout woody taproot [51,58].
Leaves are 1.2 to 6.0 inches (3-15 cm) wide and 2 to 12 inches (5-30 cm)
long [24,26,40].

In addition to rhizomes, Richardson's geranium has a fibrous root system
that can grow from 24 to 28 inches (60-70 cm) deep [21].

Richardson's geranium is the most widespread native geranium (Geranium
spp.) in North America [29,51]. It occurs from Alaska and the Yukon
Territory south to California, Arizona, and New Mexico [30,59].
Richardson's geranium is also found in the Black Hills of South Dakota
[25,30].

More info for the term: fire regime

Richardson's geranium has rhizomes which may produce new stems after
fire [21,58]. Richardson's geranium is a member of moist or wet
subalpine fir-Engelmann spruce habitat types in Idaho and Wyoming which
have estimated average fire-free intervals of about 330. Stands are
susceptible to severe burns when drought occurs [66]. Richardson's
geranium also occurs in communities characterized by more frequent fire,
including lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) [65], subalpine fir [67], and
quaking aspen [63].

FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".

Since Richardson's geranium is considered an increaser species when
grazed by cattle, fire plans to ensure Richardson's geranium seedling
establishment or inhibition may have to be coordinated with grazing
management.

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More info for the terms: geophyte, hemicryptophyte

Hemicryptophyte
Geophyte

More info for the term: forest

Richardson's geranium occurs in a variety of habitats including
woodlands, forest openings, grasslands, meadows, and riparian areas such
as stream terraces, alluvial benches, wet valley bottoms, and stream and
lake margins [22,23,26,61]. It is most commonly found in moist areas
[28,40,41,61].

Richardson's geranium grows best on moist to semiwet soils with good
drainage [14,48,51]. It is moderately tolerant of drought [51]. It
grows best on loam, sandy loam, and clayey loam soils derived from shale
and limestone, but occurs on gravelly substrates as well [11,36,48,51].


Elevations for Richardson's geranium for several states are as follows:

Arizona 6,500-12,000 feet (1,950-3,600 m) [30,33]
California 3,960-8,900 feet (1,200-2,700 m) [26]
Colorado 5,500-12,000 feet (1,650-3,600 m) [6,24]
Idaho 5,900-10,500 feet (1,770-3,150 m) [61]
Montana 2,880-7,400 feet (878-2,257 m) [22]
New Mexico 8,000-11,800 feet (2,400-3,540 m) [1,13]
Utah 5,725-10,675 feet (1,735-3,235 m) [51,59]
Wyoming 5,900-10,500 feet (1,770-3,150 m) [61]

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This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

63 Cottonwood
206 Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir
207 Red fir
209 Bristlecone pine
210 Interior Douglas-fir
211 White fir
216 Blue spruce
217 Aspen
218 Lodgepole pine
219 Limber pine
220 Rocky Mountain juniper
235 Cottonwood - willow
236 Bur oak
237 Interior ponderosa pine
239 Pinyon - juniper
241 Western live oak
243 Sierra Nevada mixed conifer
256 California mixed subalpine

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

More info for the term: shrub

FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES23 Fir - spruce
FRES26 Lodgepole pine
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES36 Mountain grasslands
FRES37 Mountain meadows
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES41 Wet grasslands
FRES44 Alpine

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: forest, woodland

K005 Mixed conifer forest
K007 Red fir forest
K011 Western ponderosa forest
K012 Douglas-fir forest
K015 Western spruce - fir forest
K016 Eastern ponderosa forest
K017 Black Hills pine forest
K018 Pine - Douglas-fir forest
K019 Arizona pine forest
K020 Spruce - fir - Douglas-fir forest
K021 Southwestern spruce - fir forest
K022 Great Basin pine forest
K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K031 Oak - juniper woodlands
K032 Transition between K031 and K037
K037 Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
K052 Alpine meadows and barren
K063 Foothills prairie
K064 Grama - needlegrass - wheatgrass
K066 Wheatgrass - needlegrass
K098 Northern floodplain forest

Richardson's geranium is probably top-killed by fire. In north-central
Colorado, two quaking aspen stands containing some lodgepole pine were
prescribed burned in November, 1981. Richardson's geranium was present
before burning in both stands, but only in one stand in postfire year 1
[62].

Richardson's geranium is a valuable forage species for livestock, deer
and elk [9,55]. It provides forage for mule deer in wet meadows of Utah
[12]. In mixed conifer forests of Arizona, Richardson's geranium is an
important forage species for deer and elk on logged and unlogged sites
[55]. In Montana, Richardson's geranium is utilized by deer, elk,
pronghorn, upland game birds, passerine birds, waterfowl, and small
mammals [9].

More info for the terms: climax, codominant, forest, grassland, habitat type

Richardson's geranium occurs in a wide variety of forested habitat
types, as well as grassland, meadow, alpine, and riparian zones
[4,14,54,59,60].

Richardson's geranium occurs in both climax and seral communities. It
is a member of the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)-mixed
conifer forest in the Sierra Nevada of California [3]. Richardson's
geranium is abundant in the true pinyon-Rocky Mountain juniper (Pinus
edulis-Juniperus scopulorum) habitat type of Utah [14]. It is an
important understory species in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa),
subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii),
blue spruce (P. pungens), white fir (A. concolor), and Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii) habitat types of Arizona and New Mexico
[1,18,35]. Richardson's geranium is a common understory species in
subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce habitat types of the Intermountain
West [6,31].

Richardson's geranium is found in seral quaking aspen (Populus
tremuloides)-dominated community types in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah,
Colorado, and Montana [2,34,36,39]. In Wyoming, Richardson's geranium
occurs in spruce/field horsetail (Picea spp./Equisetum arvense) and
spruce/sweet-scented bedstraw (Galium triflorum) riparian community
types [60]. In wet meadows of Utah, Richardson's geranium is codominant
with western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) [23]. Richardson's
geranium is a dominant understory species in the subalpine fir/mountain
bluebells (Mertensia ciliata) habitat type and in aspen-dominated
communities of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado [13]. In
Canada, Richardson's geranium is a member of the subboreal,
aspen-dominated spruce zone [44].

The following publication lists Richardson's geranium as a community
dominant:

A classification of forest habitat types of northern New Mexico and
southern Colorado [13]

Species not previously mentioned but commonly associated with
Richardson's geranium include sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana),
incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), willows (Salix spp.), black
cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa var. hastata), narrowleaf cottonwood (P.
angustifolia), thinleaf alder (Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia), hackberry
(Celtis occidentalis), boxelder (Acer negundo), alligator juniper
(Juniperus deppeana), Utah juniper (J. utahensis), Gambel oak (Quercus
gambelii), bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum), Rocky Mountain maple
(A. glabrum), dwarf bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), grouse whortleberry
(V. scoparium), red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), rose (Rosa spp.),
russet buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis), mountain snowberry
(Symphoricarpos oreophilus), shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa),
common chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), antelope bitterbrush (Purshia
tridentata), slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus), California brome
(Bromus carinatus), Letterman needlegrass (Stipa lettermanii), Arizona
fescue (Festuca arizonica), mountain muhly (Muhlenbergia montana), Ross
sedge (Carex rossii), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratense), western
meadowrue (Thalictrum occidentale), northern bedstraw (Galium boreale),
western yarrow (Achillea millefolium), fireweed (Epilobium
angustifolium), and starry Solomon-seal (Smilacina stellata)
[4,6,14,31,35,45].

More info for the term: forb

Forb

More info for the terms: cover, forb, forest, grassland

The effects of clearcutting on wildlife habitat were studied in a moist
subalpine forest in central Colorado. Percent understory cover of
Richardson's geranium before and after clearcutting was [11]:

before logging years after logging (1978-1982)
(1976) 1 2 3 4 5

5.1 3.9 4.2 3.7 3.2 7.5

Richardson's geranium can withstand heavy grazing by cattle because of
its stout woody taproot [51]. It is an increaser species and dominant
forb on cattle-grazed rangelands in Utah. However, Richardson's
geranium decreases on sheep-grazed rangelands [16].

Half of a 4-acre fenced plot in a subalpine grassland of central Utah
was trapped from 1942 to 1950 to free it from pocket gophers. Pocket
gophers in the other half were not disturbed. Richardson's geranium
increased slightly in percent cover on sites where pocket gophers were
present and also on sites where they were absent. Pocket gophers did
not seem to influence the percent cover of Richardson's geranium [15].

Richardson's geranium is rated good in nutritional value for elk, mule
deer, and white-tailed deer, poor for pronghorn and waterfowl, and fair
for small mammals, small nongame birds, and upland game birds. Energy
rating and protein content are poor [9].

Throughout the Intermountain region, nutritional value of Richardson's
geranium is rated good to excellent for cattle and sheep during early
growth stages, and poor to good in later growth stages [51].

AK AZ CA CO ID MT NV NM OR SD
UT WA WY AB BC SK YT

Palatability of Richardson's geranium is rated good for sheep and fair
for cattle and horses [9].

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More info for the term: seed

Richardson's geranium flowering dates for several states are as follows:

Arizona April-Oct [30]
California July-Aug [40]
Montana late July [34]
Utah June-Aug [21]
Great Plains May-Aug [20]

In the Intermountain West, Richardson's geranium flowers in July and
early August and seed matures in September [51]. In Oregon, seed is
produced in the fall and germinates in March. Dormancy begins in the
second or third week of August and is complete after the first frost, in
late September [21].

Richardson's geranium may sprout from rhizomes following fire.

More info for the terms: caudex, herb, rhizome, secondary colonizer

Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
Caudex, growing points in soil
Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

More info for the term: seed

Richardson's geranium reproduces by seed and rhizomes [21,51,58]. Bees
are common pollinators, and flower beetles may also pollinate
Richardson's geranium. It is an active ballist; seed is throw 3.3 feet
(1 m) or more from the parent plant. Flower beetles may aid in
dispersal. Seed does not remain viable for more than one winter [21].

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This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

2 Cascade Mountains
3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

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More info for the terms: climax, facultative wetland species, forest

Facultative Seral Species

Richardson's geranium occurs in seral and climax communities. It is
shade tolerant, but also grows in some open habitats [14,27,31,36]. It
is a facultative wetland species in California [47], and a facultative
upland species in Montana [9]. Richardson's geranium is a common
understory species in aspen community types, which are usually
successional to coniferous climax types in subalpine forests of Colorado
and the Intermountain region [8,14,36,37]. Richardson's geranium is a
member of aspen stands of northwestern Wyoming that are 81 to 120 years
old [31]. It is a facultative species in aspen and Douglas-fir forests
of Utah [14]. In Utah, Richardson's geranium is present in seral stands
of lodgepole pine [12]. It is a member of the scrub climax and forest
climax communities of the Black Hills [25]. Richardson's geranium
occurs in mature to climax subalpine forests in Utah, which are
dominated by subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce [64].

In Utah, Richardson's geranium is a chief invader of cattle-grazed
rangelands [16].

The currently accepted scientific name of Richardson's geranium is
Geranium richardsonii Fisch and Trautv. [26,28,40,59]]. It is a member
of the Geraniaceae family. There are no recognized infrataxa.
Richardson's geranium may hybridize with sticky geranium (G.
viscosissimum) [20].

Erosion control, short-term revegetation potential, and long-term
revegetation potential are rated as medium for Richardson's geranium
[9].

Geranium richardsonii Fisch. & Trautv. Ind. Sem. Hort Petrop. 4: 37. 1837.
Geranium albiflorum Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 1: 116. 1831. Not G. albiflorum Ledeb. 1831.
Geranium Hookerianum Walp. Rep. 1 : 450. 1842.
Geranium penlagynum Engelm. in Wisliz. Tour Northern Mex. 90. 1848.
Geranium gracilentum Greene ; Rydb. Fl. Colo. 218. 1906.
Perennial, the caudex often slightly branched. Stems solitary or several together, scape-like, erect or ascending, 4-9 dm. long, pubescent with spreading purple gland-tipped hairs or nearly glabrous; leaf-blades thin, mostly pentagonal in outline, 3-5-parted, the divisions incised, toothed or lobed, usually rather sharply so, sparingly pubescent or glabrous ; pedicels glandular-pubescent ; sepals awn-tipped, the outer ones 8.5-11.5 mm. long, the bodies elliptic or oblong-elliptic, pubescent and often glandular-ciliate ; petals white, 12-20 mm. long; style-coluinn 19-23 mm. long, glandular-pubescent; carpel-bodies 4^4.5 mm. long, glandular-hirsute, at least near the top ; seeds reticulate.
Type locality : Valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Distribution : South Dakota to California and Colorado.

Geranium richardsonii is a species of geranium known by the common name Richardson's geranium. It is native to western North America from Alaska to New Mexico, where it can be found in a number of habitats, especially mountains and forests. This is a perennial herb varying in maximum height from 20 to 80 centimeters. The plant grows from a tough, woody taproot and older plants develop rhizomes. The leaves are up to 15 centimeters wide and are divided into generally five segments, each segment subdivided into small rounded or pointed lobes. The flower has five pointed sepals beneath five rounded petals, each one to two centimeters long. The petals are white to purple with darker purple veining. The fruit has a small body with a straight style up to 2.5 centimeters long (see image at left).

Geranium richardsonii, flower and fruits