Weed or Flower? (flowers, seeding, plants, bird)

[Emiki]

I remember seeing this in the pastures as a kid, but for the life of me I can't remember what they are called. Any idea?

[jacqueg]

Egad, that's a weedy geranium (common name cranesbill), not sure exactly which one. *Don't* let it get away with seeding into your flower beds.

[Emiki]

Thank you. The flower bed is exactly where I found it and knew I had seen it in pastures around Brownwood as a kid. We used to pull the dart like flowers off and throw them at each other because they stuck to our clothes like stickers.

[Emiki]

Found it! Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It's called Erodium texanum (Texas stork's bill, Stork's bill, Pine needle, Fillaree, and Geraniaceae (Geranium Family).

[jacqueg]

Ah ha, good for you.

We've got an erodium up here that is much the same. We also have something called stinking robert, geranium robertianum, which is even worse than the erodium.

Cute little flowers and pretty enough foliage, but not nice in the garden at all.

Always worthwhile to check though, because some of the geraniums and erodiums are appealing and well-behaved plants for wild-type gardens.