Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Dry to Medium-Wet
Soil Type: Loam, sand
Height: 6"
Bloom Time: May-June
Bloom Color: Pink
Resistance: Deer
Attracts: Butterflies, Rusty Patch Bumblebee & other small bees
Pollinator benefit: Excellent nectar source
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Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) is a distinctive wildflower with irresistible pink feathery seed heads. Each flowering stem holds three nodding pink bell-shaped flowers. The show begins once the flowers are fertilized as the nodding blooms transform into upright clusters of wispy pink plumes. A massed planting creates a pinkish haze that can last for a month. The basal leaves are fern-like and deeply serrated with hairy margins. While not truly evergreen, the leaves can persist through winter, turning attractive shades of red and crimson.
Plants spread slowly by rhizome to form a ground cover, ideally suited for dry rock gardens. Prairie Smoke is also effectively planted in groups in a perennial bed, but it prefers to be manageable by taller perennials. Excellent for hot, dry spots, it thrives in any well-drained soil. Wet and soggy winter conditions may cause the plants to die back. Other common names include Old Mans Whiskers and Purple Avens. The roots taste like sassafras and can be made into tea.
Info from www.prairienursery.com.