Geraniaceae

Black widow

Geranium phaeum L.

Family: Geraniaceae
Genus: Geranium

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Black widow (Geranium phaeum) — FlowerPhoto: Daniel Cahen, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (26)

Belarusian: Герань цёмна-бурая
Bulgarian: Кафяв здравец
Catalan: Gerani obscur, Géranium brun
Chinese: 暗色老鹳草
Czech: Kakost hnědočervený
Danish: Bølgekronet Storkenæb, Mørk Storkenæb
Dutch: Donkere ooievaarsbek
English: Black widow, Dusky crane's-bill, Mourning widow
Estonian: Tõmmu kurereha
Finnish: Tummakurjenpolvi
French: Géranium livide, Géranium brun
German: Brauner Storchschnabel, Géranium brun
hsb: Bruna pyskawa
Icelandic: Brúngresi
Italian: Geranio stellato
Latvian: Tumšbrūnā gandrene
Lithuanian: Géranium brun
Persian: سوزنچوپان کوهستانی
Polish: Bodziszek żałobny
Russian: Герань тёмно-бурая, Герань красно-бурая
Serbian: Вилино око, Smeđa iglica, Vilino oko, Смеђа иглица
Slovak: Pakost hnedočervený
Slovenian: Rjavordeča krvomočnica
Swedish: Brunnäva, Géranium brun
Ukrainian: Журавець темний
Welsh: Gweddw alarus

Synonyms

Geranium austriacum Wiesb. ex Hayek
Geranium austriacum Wiesb. ex R.Knuth
Geranium bosniacum Sendtn.
Geranium fuscum L.
Geranium hungaricum Wiesb. ex Grecescu
Geranium hungaricum Wiesb.
Geranium lividum L'Hér.
Geranium lividum var. caerulescens Murr
Geranium moldavicum Fisch. ex Bobrov
Geranium monacense var. anglicum Yeo
Geranium montanum Bubani
Geranium patulum Vill.
Geranium phaeum f. austriacum Wiesb.
Geranium phaeum f. hungaricum Wiesb. ex Gams
Geranium phaeum f. hungaricum Wiesb.
Geranium phaeum f. linnaei C.E.Lundstr.
Geranium phaeum f. maculatum (Schur) Gams
Geranium phaeum f. pallidum Gortani & M.Gortani
Geranium phaeum subsp. austriacum Wiesb. ex Hayek
Geranium phaeum subsp. lividum (L'Hér.) Hayek
Geranium phaeum subsp. normale A.Terracc.
Geranium phaeum subvar. austriacum (Wiesb. ex Hayek) Gams
Geranium phaeum subvar. fuscum (L.) Rouy
Geranium phaeum subvar. nodosum (Schur) A.Terracc.
Geranium phaeum var. atropurpureum Duftschmid
Geranium phaeum var. balcanicum A.Terracc.
Geranium phaeum var. fuscum (L.) DC.
Geranium phaeum var. genuinum Rouy
Geranium phaeum var. lividum (L'Hér.) Pers.
Geranium phaeum var. lividum (L'Hér.) DC.
Geranium phaeum var. maculatum Schur
Geranium phaeum var. nodosum Schur
Geranium phaeum var. patulum (Vill.) St.-Lag.
Geranium phaeum var. patulum (Vill.) Nyman
Geranium phaeum var. vulgatius DC.
Geranium planipetalum Chaix
Geranium subcoeruleum Schleich.

Flowers

In flower: April to June (from 2,196 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Plant problems

Geranium leaves turning yellow indoors: causes and fixesLearn why indoor geranium leaves turn yellow, how to tell overwatering from low-light shock, and the exact steps to restore healthy green growth.

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Daniel Cahen, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Elias Freyhof, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Olsza Borys, CC0, from iNaturalist
LeavesPhoto: Sarah C., CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Magnus Manske, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Uta Groger, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Kater Billa, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Oleksandr Shynder, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Chérif-Jacques Allali, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

More in Geranium

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.