Filaree Storksbill
Erodium cicutarium
Also called "Heron-bill," this creeping desert plant is one of the first bloomers of the season. Red stems spread along the ground up to 20 inches long supporting flowers and tiny, sword-shaped fruits. Ripening seed pods twist into a spiral. Fern-like leaves are 1/2 to 4 inches long.
Filaree, a member of the Geranium family (Geraniaceae) was native to Eurasia and introduced into the US by early Spanish settlers then became naturalised in the Southwest. The Texas storksbill (E. texanum) has flowers twice the size and is as widely distributed.
Range
Common throughout all the deserts of the southwest.
Habitat
Open desert flats, mesas and hillsides below 7,000 feet.
Flowers
Small, 5-lobed, loosely clustered lavender flowers, 1/2-inch wide, bloom February through June.
More desert wildflowers and reports
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
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