Prairie Smoke, Grandfather's Beard, Lion's Beard, Old Man's Whiskers, Purple Avens, Torch Flower, Long-Plumed Purple Avens
A very distinctive prairie plant, Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke) features purple to reddish-pink, nodding, bowl-shaped flowers in late spring, which are followed by interesting seed heads with elongated styles, 2 in. long (5 cm), forming upright, silvery pink tails. Resembling plumes of smoke hovering close to the ground, they are ready to be caught by the wind or a passing animal to be dispersed across the landscape. The flowers rise enthusiastically above a foliage of fern-like, deeply-divided, blue-green leaves that remains attractive during the entire season. Sometimes evergreen, the foliage features a lovely fall coloration as its turns deep red in fall. This rhizomatous, perennial wildflower forms slowly spreading clumps and can be naturalized to form a lovely ground cover.
| Hardiness |
3 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
1 - 10 |
| Climate Zones | 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A1, A2, A3 |
| Plant Type | Perennials |
| Plant Family | Rosaceae |
| Genus | Geum |
| Common names | Prairie Smoke, Torch Flower |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Spring (Late), Summer (Early), Fall |
| Height | 6" - 2' (15cm - 60cm) |
| Spread | 6" - 1' (15cm - 30cm) |
| Spacing | 6" - 12" (15cm - 30cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Plant of Merit, Showy |
| Native Plants | United States, New York, Midwest, Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, Northeast, California, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Dry Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies |
| Garden Uses | Beds And Borders, Ground Covers |
| Garden Styles | Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage, Gravel and Rock Garden |
| Hardiness |
3 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
1 - 10 |
| Climate Zones | 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A1, A2, A3 |
| Plant Type | Perennials |
| Plant Family | Rosaceae |
| Genus | Geum |
| Common names | Prairie Smoke, Torch Flower |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Spring (Late), Summer (Early), Fall |
| Height | 6" - 2' (15cm - 60cm) |
| Spread | 6" - 1' (15cm - 30cm) |
| Spacing | 6" - 12" (15cm - 30cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Plant of Merit, Showy |
| Native Plants | United States, New York, Midwest, Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, Northeast, California, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Dry Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies |
| Garden Uses | Beds And Borders, Ground Covers |
| Garden Styles | Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage, Gravel and Rock Garden |
How many Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke) do I need for my garden?
| Plant | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
| Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke) | N/A | Buy Plants |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
