Erodium cicutarium

That's right, Keith... Erodium cicutarium, of the Geraniaceae! The genus name of this cute little weed from Europe comes from the Greek word for heron (erodios), which is in reference to the long beak of the fruit that resembles a heron's bill. Redstem stork's bill, as it is known, is found throughout most of North America in fields, on roadsides, in deserts, and in waste areas. It is also used as a winter forage in the southwestern United States, where it is known as alfileria.

I have never seen this winter annual (biennial in the southern parts of its range) become horribly invasive, but it is invasive in some parts of its range. It was brought to the United States in the 1700s and spread rapidly west across the country as a result of the spiraled mature style that attached seeds to the fur and feathers of animals and birds. By the 1890s, Erodium cicutarium had already made it to the Pacific Northwest, where it dominated overgrazed pastures.

This photograph was taken in March 2006.