What is this perennial flower? - GERANIUM incanum

Pops up every year in the yard and I’ve not been able to ID online by image. Would love to know what it is and how it spreads as I don’t remember seeing seed pods on it.

I believe it is cosmos. Hope that helps

The leaves remind me somewhat of cypress vine but it has only red, pink or white flowers I believe.

Is yours a ground cover or climbing vine?

It's a pretty plant.

Looks like cosmos to me too. The seeds are quite small and just form on the finished flower, at my customers house I find it pops up from seed despite us deadheading it every year. Though there are perrenial species of cosmos too, so it could be one of them.

Looks like cosmos

The foliage looks similar to some cosmos Cosmos bipinatus (C. bipinatus) but not the five petal flower? Looks like cosmos flowers have eight petals?

I really searched for this.  It looks familiar but I can't put my finger on it.  I'm pretty sure it's not cosmos unless it is a type I ever never seen.    It is similar to Phlox but it's definitely, not Phlox.   It's driving me crazy.

It is not a vine, and clumps into mounds about 2 feet wide. The flowers are about 1” across. I’ve included a pic of one “arm”. The entire plant doesn’t last the whole summer and dries out here in my SoCal yard. Sorry I guess it’s not perennial but annual by self seed according to the feedback!

GERANIUM incanum ?
not 100% but some of the photos online look very close. It is perennial but also self seeds,

Skandi Rogers wrote:GERANIUM incanum ?
not 100% but some of the photos online look very close. It is perennial but also self seeds,

I think you got it!
https://www.plantdelights.com/products/geranium-incanum-sugar-plum
here's a photo...

Skandi! I think you’ve solved the mystery! Thank you!!

well someone beat me to the answer but yeah i agree...this is some kind of perennial Hardy Geranium...a type of cranesbill...some/most have rounder leaves...but those finely fringe type leaves...that will be the key in narrowing down the type. theres actually a LOT of sub species that are very similar in the hardy geranium family...

but yeah the photo that shows the seed pod before it pops open...well on one of your photos i can see the seed pod, and thats the "Cranesbill" that gives it it's name...

similar --->

https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/geranium-dissectum.php

geranium dissectum

and fyi - here's an image search for the seed pods...the cranes bill of the name...these are poppers !the pods split and they fly everywhere...and you only got a short window of time to collect seed if youre so inclined...

but just so you know whats up with the seeds --->cranesbill seed pods

Skandi Rogers wrote:GERANIUM incanum ?
not 100% but some of the photos online look very close. It is perennial but also self seeds,

Well done.  I'm going to get some seeds just because.  I tried really hard to find out what this was and couldn't do it.  Excellent!

Bravo everyone! I never noticed the cranesbill on some of the flowers! Hunted for the seeds, and interestingly, although I have many bees and hummingbirds, very few flowers develop seeds. If so, only one seed per flower. I’ve included a pic of 2 seed pods, one showing the split. This has been a really fun dive; I’ve learned so much, and now I’m tempted to try hand pollinating to gather more seeds.

well it's early in the season, still, so i am sure theres more to come.

I have grown 2 types of hardy geraniums, the more common "bloody cranesbill" / geranium sanguineum, with a lot of deep pink /rosy red, and big root cranesbill - geranium macrorrhizum...and yeah you get a lot of duds, some flowers just dont make seed or theres only one or 2 seeds...

But they are so prolific and easy, and so good at self seeding with the whole flinging their seeds everywhere strategy....that usually you get tons and tons of flowers...and spread out over a long season...they keep on blooming for many months.

the best and biggest seeds come in later in the season when the flowers get to maximum effect and quantities...although one of the trickier parts is that they ripen over a long period of time...so you get a lot that have already thrown their seeds, right close to underdeveloped seeds not quite ready...with a lot of just right seed pods just before their whole implosion trick...but yeah you gotta be paying attention if you want to collect seeds...i recommend doing it though...especially if you are into seed trading and saving...

i am really not much for ornamentals being my preference to use most space and energy for edibles, but i like all versions of this extended family for many reasons.
one people love these, they are tradeable, for sure, lots of people want them.....for 2 they are stupid easy, like do nothing ever and they just get more awesome every year, and the obvious 3 they are super cute and somehow very cheerful...

another thing worthy of mentioning is you can bag the blossoms...or where you find a concentration of almost ready pods...then they get all caught in the bags instead of fly away. i use organza bags...to some times do this...and then come back a couple weeks later and you have all the seeds in the bags...

i have so many of these around i just let them go mostly...and try to pay attention to a time when i can get max amount at once...in the middle of their seed making process...leaving the ones not ready to finish out...and having already "lost" quite a lot because they already popped. then go back for a second or third round...

even sometimes...just after they pop...the seeds sometimes stay in the little pocket...too...maybe waits for some winds of rains to fully dislodge them...

so yeah i just collect them when hopefully i notice that a lot are ready to go...but i like that they fling themselves...and make new patches...in an area of landscaping where the more the merrier as far as these guys self seeding. they spread themselves out quite far...