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, herbaceous perennial 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 | Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Northeast, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, South Dakota, Southwest, United States, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Dry Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies |
| Garden Uses | Beds And Borders, Ground Covers |
| Garden Styles | Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
| 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 | Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Northeast, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, South Dakota, Southwest, United States, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Dry Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies |
| Garden Uses | Beds And Borders, Ground Covers |
| Garden Styles | Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
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!
