Richardson Geranium

Left image
Close up of white Richardson Geranium flower.

Right image
Cluster of white Richardson Geranium flowers.

Richardson Geranium - Geranium richardsonii

Richardson Geranium grows in the rich moist soils found in the Spruce-Fir forests at Cedar Breaks. This is the most widely distributed native geranium in Utah. Many people may also know its close relative, the pink-flowered Sticky Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum) which often grows in similar habitats although it is not known to grow in Cedar Breaks.

This species is palatable to livestock and disappears where grazing is heavy. Native Americans are reported to have used pulverized leaves to stop nosebleeds and to have made a drink from its pulverized roots. Richardson Geranium occurs at higher elevations in all Utah counties and throughout the west from the Yukon to New Mexico.