Erodium Stephanie - Storksbill

Erodium 'Stephanie' is a Mediterranean perennial that forms a small compact cushion. From spring to autumn, it will delight you with its countless white flowers with purple macules, constantly renewing itself. Frugal and robust, it should be kept for poor, dry and calcareous rockeries in full sun. It is also an excellent plant for low-maintenance pots, as it requires very little watering.

Erodium 'Stephanie' belongs to the Geraniaceae family, just like their close relatives the perennial geraniums, another essential for the ornamental garden. This plant is derived from Erodium guttatum, a species native to Morocco and Algeria, where it grows on limestone and rocky slopes. It forms a small prostrate cushion, about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8in) tall and 30 cm (12in) in diameter, made up of branched stems densely covered with semi-evergreen leaves. These leaves, tender green and finely cut, look like miniature carrot leaves! The plant's flowers are exceptional: between May and October, it continuously produces an avalanche of 5-petaled white flowers, two of which are marked with a spot (also called a macule) of almost black violet-purple. The flowers stand out particularly well against the light foliage. After flowering, each flower produces an elongated and pointed fruit, 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) long, which gives Erodium its other name 'storksbill'. When mature, the seeds are projected by an ingenious catapult system, so that it can propagate at a good distance from the mother plant. However, not all seedlings will be identical to the initial variety.

Storksbill 'Stephanie' prefers poor, dry and rocky soils, with a tendency towards limestone.  Position in full sun, which will ensure dense growth and abundant flowering. In too rich soil, it will grow too 'strong', flower less and have a somewhat ungainly, even neglected appearance, ultimately withering quickly. Its worst enemy remains very wet soil, which will also quickly rot its fleshy roots. On the other hand, it is perfectly hardy to -15°C (5°F) . Once established, it can easily withstand periods of drought without requiring any watering. Propagation by cuttings of root sections is also very simple.
Erodium 'Stephanie' is therefore ideal for filling a rockery or a slightly difficult slope, as well as in pots, alongside neighbours that appreciate the same conditions such as the sea heath Frankenia laevis, the wild thyme, the African pyrethrum, or the cushion gypsophila.