Cranesbill is a perennial plant from the genus Geranium and belongs to the Geraniaceae family.
It can grow up to 60 cm (around two feet) in height and has deeply lobed toothed leaves. The flowers have five petals and are pink or purple but white flower varieties of the species occur.
The fruit resembles the beak of a crane which explains the English common name cranesbill.
It is primarily the roots or the underground plant stems (rhizomes) of the plant that are used in herbal medicine but sometimes the above-ground parts are used.The root should be harvested in the early spring while the aerial parts should be collected in the summer.
