Flower profile
Pinewoods geranium
Geranium caespitosum
Pinewoods geranium is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico
Quick look
Geranium caespitosum, the purple cluster geranium or pineywoods geranium, is a perennial herb native to the western United States and northern Mexico. Its US distribution includes Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
- It belongs to the Geraniaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 7 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. NatureServe
- In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–September. iNaturalist
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 3,292 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #41 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,554 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #36 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,120 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #14 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
Pinewoods geranium gift ideas
Handmade pinewoods geranium gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Pinewoods geranium art print
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Pinewoods geranium greeting card
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Pinewoods geranium mug
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Pinewoods geranium earrings
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Pinewoods geranium embroidery pattern
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Pinewoods geranium sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Native | May–September | 3,292 |
| Arizona | Native | June–September | 2,554 |
| New Mexico | Native | June–September | 2,120 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Resolved Taxon,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Colorado
- No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Colorado.
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records pinewoods geranium in 7 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming.
Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Archuleta, Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Douglas, El Paso, Gilpin, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jefferson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Ouray, Park, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Miguel, Summit, Teller, Weld.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Yavapai.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union, Valencia.
More Colorado flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile GECA3.
- iNaturalist, Geranium caespitosum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Geranium caespitosum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Geranium caespitosum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Bob Walker via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.