Geum triflorum (Prairie smoke)

Geum triflorum Pursh

Prairie smoke, purple avens, old man’s whiskers, long-plumed purple avens

Prairie smoke, so named for its seed heads’ resemblance to puffs of pink smoke, is a North American native. It is a member of the rose family.

Plants: 6–18″ ⨉ 1½′ (15–45 ⨉ 45 cm) in size.

Leaves: Most of the leaves on this plant are near the base. Leaves are small, hairy, and deeply lobed.

Flowers: Dark red, bell-shaped, hanging downward, in groups of three, ½–¾″ (1.3–1.9 cm) each in size.

Fruits: It is the seed heads that are especially unique in appearance, consisting of red or purplish threads surrounded by soft feathery hairs.

Habitats: Dry, open woodlands.

Prairie smoke flower. By StarbuckGuy@flickr.

Online References:

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain

8/8/2024 · Pownalborough Courthouse Trails, Dresden, Maine

5/12/2025 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4½″ (15 × 12 cm)

5/12/2025 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 5 × 4½″ (13 × 11 cm)

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 6″ (15 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain

8/8/2024 · Pownalborough Courthouse Trails, Dresden, Maine

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Rosales	Rose family and eight others
Family	Rosaceae	Includes apples, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, almonds, roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns; many others
Genus	Geum	An ancient Latin name used by Pliny for this group
Species	triflorum	“Three-flowered”

Range: Zones 3-7:

Geum triflorum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.