Geum triflorum aka Old Man's Whiskers

Geum triflorum, or prairie smoke, is native to North America. This perennial lives for more than one year. It belongs to the rose family, Rosaceae. Its native range runs from subarctic America into the United States. It grows in the country's north and west-central parts. This prairie plant forms clumps that grow upright. Garden plants reach about 1.5 feet [0.46 metres] tall. RHS lists height and spread up to 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Missouri Botanical Garden gives a smaller spread: 1 foot [0.3 metres].

The grey-green leaves bear soft hairs and split into leaflets. The plant sheds its leaves each year. Thin, wiry stems each hold up to three nodding flowers. The cited American sources give bloom time as May to July. The round blooms range from reddish pink to purple. RHS also lists cream blooms and buds tinged reddish purple. After bloom, the plant forms its best-known feature: feathery seed heads. Each style, part of the flower, grows longer. It reaches about 0.17 feet [0.05 metres]. The upright, grey plumes give prairie smoke its name. These fine tails help wind carry the seeds.

Grow prairie smoke in full sun and soil that drains well. It can also cope with some shade. Shade in the afternoon can help in hot summers. Missouri Botanical Garden says it prefers cool summers. That source advises dry to somewhat moist soil. RHS prefers moist soil that drains well. It should also be rich in organic matter. The plant copes with drought and dry ground. It does not cope with wet winters. RHS lists chalk, loam and sand as suitable soils. It accepts acid, neutral and alkaline soil. Missouri Botanical Garden lists USDA zones 3–7; Chicago lists 1–7. RHS gives its UK hardiness rating as H7.

Use it at the front of beds or in rock gardens. It also suits prairie, meadow and native plant gardens. Plant groups as groundcover or where plants grow and spread freely. Chicago Botanic Garden says it draws birds and butterflies. The same source lists it as deer resistant. Both blooms and seed heads add interest to beds. Chicago records past use of boiled roots as medicine. People used them to dress wounds and treat sore throats.

This plant needs little care when growing conditions suit it. Divide clumps in spring or autumn to ease crowding. Remove faded blooms to help it bloom again, though this may not work. Doing so also removes the plumes that would form later. Cut back old flower stems after bloom. Missouri Botanical Garden reports few major pest or disease problems. Soil that drains poorly can cause root rot, most of all in winter. RHS lists aphids and leaf miners as possible pests. It also lists geum sawfly larvae. Powdery mildew may occur too.