Geum

Geum, (Latinized Greek for "taste" referencing the roots of the plant ) commonly called avens, is a genus of about 50 species of rhizomatous perennial herbaceous plants in the rose family and its subfamily Rosoideae, widespread across Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, and New Zealand. They are closely related to Potentilla and Fragaria. From a basal rosette of leaves, they produce flowers on wiry stalks, in shades of white, red, yellow, and orange, in midsummer. Geum species are evergreen except where winter temperatures drop below 0 °F. The cultivar 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' (with orange flowers) has the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Geum species are used as food by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the grizzled skipper.

The UK National Collection of geums is held at Brickwall Cottage Garden and Nursery in Frittenden, Kent.

Selected species
• Geum albiflorum

• Geum aleppicum – yellow avens or common avens

• Geum bulgaricum

• Geum calthifolium

• Geum canadense – white avens

• Geum × catlingii – Catling's avens

• Geum coccineum – dwarf orange avens

• Geum elatum

• Geum geniculatum – bent avens

• Geum heterocarpum

• Geum japonicum - Asian herb bennet (medicinal herb)

• Geum laciniatum – rough avens

• Geum leiospermum

• Geum macrophyllum – largeleaf avens

• Geum molle

• Geum montanum – Alpine avens

• Geum parviflorum

• Geum peckii – mountain avens

• Geum pentapetalum

• Geum pyrenaicum

• Geum quellyon – scarlet avens or Chilean avens

• Geum radiatum – spreading avens, Appalachian avens, and cliff avens

• Geum reptans – creeping avens

• Geum rhodopeum

• Geum rivale – water avens or purple avens

• Geum rossii – Alpine avens

• Geum sikkimense

• Geum sylvaticum

• Geum talbotianum – Tasmanian snowrose

• Geum triflorum – prairie smoke or three-flowered avens

• Geum turbinatum

• Geum uniflorum

• Geum urbanum – wood avens or herb Bennet

• Geum vernum – spring avens

• Geum virginianum – cream avens or Virginia avens

For a more detailed list see List of Geum species.