On July 14 a UWBG Facebook fan asked us what’s the story of Herb Robert at the Arboretum. UWBG Horticulturalist, David Zuckerman, replies with background information and his personal experience with this stinky weed.
Herb Robert, aka, Stinking Robert. Geranium robertianum is an escaped ornamental herbaceous perennial native to Europe. It has quite a history of folklore and medicinal uses. It is a class B noxious weed in Washington(1998?) and first seen in our state in 1911, Klickitat. 

With more than 100 citizen scientists, university students and professionals scrutinizing Washington Park Arboretum’s nooks and crannies during Seattle’s first BioBlitz, there were bound to be a few surprises. A potentially rare native stinging ant, a potentially rare Amanita (mushroom) not often seen on the west coast, a potentially new species of spider and a couple of unexpected plants displaying suspicious behavior are just a few of the discoveries.