Prairie smoke
Geum triflorum
Feathery pink seed plumes like wisps of smoke.
Hardiness: zones 3 to 7
Light: full sun
Size: about 1 ft tall, 1 ft wide
From: Northern and western North America
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: pollinators.
Native to: Midwest & Great Lakes, Great Plains & Texas, Rockies & Great Basin, Pacific Northwest, Western Canada. Hardy in zones 3 to 7.
The story
Prairie smoke blooms low and early, with nodding pink buds that hardly open. Bumblebees must force their way in. Afterward the seed heads lift and fluff into pink plumes that look like smoke drifting over the grass.
Planting
Full sun and dry, well-drained soil. It makes a good edging or rock-garden plant.
Growing
Keep taller plants from shading it. Divide the slowly spreading mats now and then.
Harvest and use
Early nectar for queen bumblebees, then weeks of feathery seed heads.
What to watch for
Wet soil and crowding. It fades in hot, humid summers.
See if Prairie smoke fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home