musk stork's-bill

Also known as Whitestem Filaree, Musky Storksbill, Musk Filaree

Musk stork's-bill is a sprawling, rosette-forming herb named for the rich musky scent released when its pinnate leaves are bruised or crushed. Small pinkish-purple five-petaled blossoms bloom from late winter through summer, yielding distinctive long seed heads resembling the beak of a stork. Upon drying, these seed pods split into spring-loaded coiled awns that twist in response to atmospheric humidity, self-drilling the attached seeds into the soil.