Geum triflorum - Prairie Smoke

Sizes available: HPP #1

Basics: zones 2-7, 10-16" (in flower) x 12-18", full sun to high, light shade, nodding, ruddy pink bloom in late spring, with awesome seed head afterwards, likes well-drained springtime moisture and then a drier summer soil. Intolerant of poor drainage and winter wet. 

Common names: Prairie Smoke

Family: Rosaceae

Origin/Distribution: colder, drier areas of the upper midwest and mountain west of the U.S. and from British Columbia to Manitoba in Canada. There are also discontiguous populations found in New York State and Ontario.

Habitat: open and non-forested, also dry, open woodlands, mountain meadows, prairie, and open slopes. Often found on calcareous soils, but I have not found it to be fussy in the garden.

More: Sweat bees (the genus Lasioglossum, of which 52 species occur in Maine), feed on the pollen. Queen bumblebees appreciate this early-season bloomer and will buzz pollinate the flowers while muscling their way in to get at the nectar. Decorative at numerous stages and received five stars in the Chicago Botanic Garden's "A Comparative Study of Geum spp." Geum triflorum will grow larger and be more competitive in more fertile soils. In the wild, it grows on very thin and lean soil over limestone, however is more picky about too much moisture than pH. The seed head is the star of the show. Each seed has a long, fuzzy tail and taken together they are reminiscent of a smoky haze, hence the common name Prairie Smoke. I also think they have a comical aspect and they remind me of those little rubber troll dolls I used to play with as a kid. This is a tough plant with an attractive rosette of grey green, lacy leaves that color-up a bit in the cold. Good drainage is a must. Has medicinal properties. The roots can be used in teas.

Nursery: plugs from Pizzo Native Plants, grown on at Honey Petal Plants

Image Credits: Frank Meuschke from Shelterwood Gardens