Redstem Storksbill
Scientific Name:
Erodium cicutarium
Type:
Herbaceous Plant
Habitat:
Forest, high desert, riparian, etc.
Range:
Fields, open areas, and disturbed habitats
Status:
No listed status
This species is
INVASIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Redstem storksbills are low growing plants that are typically only 2 to 20 inches tall. They have many stems, fern-like leaves, and small, pink flowers. Storksbill steeds have long tails which dry into a coil in sunlight.
Fast Facts:
These plants' red stems can be eaten raw in salads, and are a good source of vitamin K.
Cattle, sheep, and desert tortoises all feed on red storksbill and rely on its nutrients in the spring. The plant has been grown as hay for ranches.
The first redstem storksbill most likely arrived with Spanish settlers. Native to the Mediterranean, it was one of the first plants to invade North America.
Sources:
NatureGate, Common Storksbill, 2021, https://www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en/kukkakasvit/common-storksbill
Utah State University Extension, Storksbill, 2017, https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/forbsherbaceous/storksbill'
Medicinal Herb Info, Storksbill, 2021, http://medicinalherbinfo.org/000Herbs2016/1herbs/storksbill/
The Jepson Herbarium, Erodium cicutarium, 2012, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=25041
U.S. Forest Service, Erodium cicutarium, 2018, https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/erocic/all.html
Contributor(s):
Erica Derby (research & content)
Bridget Mulkerin (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)