# prairie smoke (*Geum triflorum*) Prairie smoke is a beautiful flower that grows in grassy areas. Its fluffy, pinkish seed heads look like little puffs of smoke, making it a fun sight in nature! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 19 - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Old man's whiskers, Smoke flower ![prairie smoke](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Geum_triflorum_5721.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geum_triflorum_5721.JPG) ## Appearance The prairie smoke has nodding, bell-shaped flowers, often pink or reddish, that never fully open. Its most distinct feature is the fuzzy, feather-like seed heads that emerge after blooming, resembling wisps of smoke. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Geum ## Interesting facts - After blooming, the fluffy seed heads shimmer and wave, truly looking like puffs of pink smoke! - Its unique flowers stay mostly closed, keeping delicate pollen safe and dry inside! - Native Americans traditionally used parts of this plant for various medicinal purposes, like soothing teas! - You can often spot prairie smoke as one of the very first colorful wildflowers to appear in spring! ## Special abilities - **Wind Whisperers:** Prairie smoke has long, feathery seed tails that catch the wind, allowing its seeds to float away and spread far from the parent plant. - **Early Bird Bloom:** Prairie smoke can bloom very early in spring, taking advantage of sunlight before larger plants grow tall and create too much shade. - **Deep Root Defender:** Prairie smoke has strong, deep rhizomatous roots that help it survive droughts and wildfires common in its native prairie habitats. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 20-40 cm - **Spread:** 30-50 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Two-spotted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/two-spotted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus bimaculatus*) — It collects nectar and pollen from the early spring flowers. - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits the flowers for nectar and helps spread pollen. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer may browse the leaves and stems, especially when young. - **Eats:** Geum Plume Moth (*Stenoptilia pterodactyla*) — Its larvae feed on the developing seeds of the plant. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch wild plants unless an adult says it's okay. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify prairie smoke? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is prairie smoke? 20-40 cm ### How wide does prairie smoke spread? 30-50 cm ### How big are the flowers on prairie smoke? 1-2 cm ### When does prairie smoke bloom? Spring ### Is prairie smoke edible? No ### Is prairie smoke toxic? None ### What is prairie smoke's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Great Northern Railway Buildings](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-northern-railway-buildings) — Montana, US · Historic Site - [Independence](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/independence) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood - [Mormon Row Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mormon-row-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Red River Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/red-river-zoo) — North Dakota, US · Zoo - [Andy Chambers Ranch Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/andy-chambers-ranch-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Belly River Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belly-river-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District [View all places to see prairie smoke](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/prairie-smoke) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Prairie Smoke: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/prairie-smoke)