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Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke)

Prairie Smoke, Grandfather's Beard, Lion's Beard, Old Man's Whiskers, Purple Avens, Torch Flower, Long-Plumed Purple Avens

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Geum Triflorum, Prairie Smoke, Grandfather's Beard, Lion's Beard, Old Man's Whiskers, Purple Avens, Torch Flower, Long-Plumed Purple Avens
Geum Triflorum, 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. 

  • Prairie Smoke grows 6-18 in. tall (15-45 cm) and 6-12 in. wide (15-30 cm). 
  • Winner of the GreatPlants award, which is a joint effort between the Nebraska Nursery, Landscape Association and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. 
  • Prefers full sun and enjoys dry to medium moisturewell-drained soils. Tolerates light shade and is drought tolerant once established. 
  • Excellent choice for borders, gravel and rock gardens, prairies and meadows and cottage gardens
  • Hardy and low maintenance, Prairie Smoke is deer resistant, but attracts butterflies.
  • No serious pest or disease issues. May be affected by rot if soils are poorly drained.
  • Native to North America from northern Canada to California and east to New York.

Requirements

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
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Geum ‘Gimlet’ (Avens)
Geum ‘Alabama Slammer’ (Avens)
Geum ‘Double Bloody Mary’ (Avens)
Geum ‘Dark and Stormy’ (Avens)
Geum ‘Flore Plena Sunrise’ (Avens)
Geum ‘Wet Kiss’ (Avens)

Recommended Companion Plants

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Baptisia australis var. minor (False Indigo)
Pulsatilla vulgaris (Pasque Flower)
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed)
Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower)
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’ (Aromatic Aster)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

20 Spring Wildflowers to Create a Dazzling Garden
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

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 Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Geum (Avens)
Guides with
Geum (Avens)
Not sure which Geum (Avens) to pick?
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