Stork's-bill, Sea

Information on Sea Stork's-bill

Common Name: Sea Stork's-bill
Scientific Name: Erodium maritimum
Irish Name: Creagach mara
Family Group: Geraniaceae
Distribution: View Map (Courtesy of the BSBI)
Flowering Period


Click for list of all flowering by month
Sea Stork's-bill is not easily confused with other wild plants on this web site.


This is an extremely difficult plant to see, let alone find. It is very small, prostrate and it only has the tiniest 3-4mm flowers which have very pale pink petals but these seem to be absent most of the time and are said to fall off early in the day. All that is left are 5 hairy, pale green sepals. The flowers are either solitary or paired and are borne on hairy, sprawling stems. The lobed leaves are hairy, oval in outline. Its fruit is long and beak-like. It grows in coastal habitats such as dunes and also on waste ground. It is a rare native annual found only in coastal areas of East and South East Ireland. It belongs to the Geranium family. 

I first saw and photographed this little plant at Slade, Co Wexford in 2012. 

If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre

Stork's-bill, Sea
Stork's-bill, Sea
Stork's-bill, Sea
Stork's-bill, Sea