Prairie Smoke, Old Man’s Whiskers, Purple Avens, Geum triflorum, May 20
May 25, 2012
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Montana Outdoors 
Beautiful photos. I’d heard of prairie smoke but I didn’t know which species it was. The last photo in particular is lovely.
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Comment by Jo Woolf — May 26, 2012 @ 12:14 am
It’s a rather strange little flower, but I find it pretty and especially the seed head. This is another wildflower that I’m sure is usually overlooked because it blends in so well with the grasses.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:32 pm
I have not seen or heard of it, but it is so “special” looking. I love the last photo very much.
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Comment by Sartenada — May 26, 2012 @ 1:27 am
It is certainly quite different from most flower blossoms. It took several years before I started noticing them.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:35 pm
Great pics of this interesting plant. Does it grow primarily in open prairie, full sun locations?
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Comment by Grampy — May 26, 2012 @ 3:27 am
Not so much in open prairie, or at least I haven’t noticed it there, but in clearings and meadows and always in full sun.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:36 pm
What a great name! Love that last shot!
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Comment by sandy — May 26, 2012 @ 5:09 am
I like the name too. It creates a great image. I’ve read that large quantities of them in seed produce an image that looks like smoke, hence the name.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:39 pm
Wonderful shots! A very unusual flower and so pretty!!
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Comment by allbymyself09 — May 26, 2012 @ 11:58 am
They are unusual enough that I wonder what its pollinators are.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:41 pm
such beautiful portraits of this lovely flower~
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Comment by Tammie — May 26, 2012 @ 2:48 pm
Thanks. Is really is lovely, isn’t it!
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:42 pm
Such colorful names for so many of these wildflowers! Love the pink.
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Comment by Candace — May 26, 2012 @ 3:00 pm
I’m disappointed with a few of the flower names, but some like this I think are just great.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:44 pm
What a beauty. I’ve never seen it – a quick glance at its favored locations shows why. Not for us, this lovely, gauzy plant! I found one picture with a wide view and it did look rather like smoke or ground fog. Your last photo’s extraordinary.
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Comment by shoreacres — May 26, 2012 @ 7:05 pm
You know, I get a lot of satisfaction posting photos of flowers like this one. It’s really very delicate and pretty and yet I wonder how many people who live around them have ever seen one. I like the idea of them being seen and appreciated for the beautiful little creations they are.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:47 pm
Shoreacres noted that this prairie smoke doesn’t blow as far south on the prairie as Texas, but I certainly wish it did. As with Clematis drummondii, the seed heads are the plant’s most dramatic and photogenic feature.
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Comment by Steve Schwartzman — May 26, 2012 @ 10:53 pm
Yes, the seed head is dramatic and I find it very attractive. While the plants are vastly different the seed heads remind me of those on the white and also the blue, clematis.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:50 pm
Prairie smoke is an intriguing looking wild flower all fuzzy with drooping heads. Neat names for wildflowers… I like that. Great shots!
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Comment by Anna Surface — May 27, 2012 @ 5:18 am
Many of the wildflowers have have touches of fuzz but this one takes it to the extreme. It seems to work for it though.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:52 pm
Excellent photos…love the compositions!!!
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Comment by dhphotosite — May 27, 2012 @ 8:30 am
Thanks David. Wildflowers just seem to pose by themselves, just as a good model does. Or at least that’s my perception.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:57 pm
Another interesting plant I’ve never heard of. I love the seed head and can see where it gets its common name.
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Comment by New Hampshire Garden Solutions — May 27, 2012 @ 12:21 pm
It’s pretty common, I think, but I seldom see it photographed or mentioned. I look forward to seeing them every year!
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 9:58 pm
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this plant before. So unusual looking.
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — May 27, 2012 @ 4:17 pm
Their distribution is in the west and north, not so much east though. It’s unusual enough that I think a lot of folks will miss it
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 10:02 pm
Your flower pictures are making me want to search a little more for some unique flowers around here too.
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Comment by Ratty — May 27, 2012 @ 11:34 pm
I’ve learned that the trick to finding wildflowers is to be out as often as possible. During the spring and into summer, I usually find several new blooms each time I go out, and some have a very short blooming season so it’s easy to miss. For example, I took my dog for a short hike in the forest after dinner this evening and I saw three new blossoms that ween’t there just three days ago.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 10:04 pm
Hi Montucky, Of course I loved all of these pictures, but I especially enjoyed the surprise of that last shot! Excellent photography! Have a fine Memorial Day.
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Comment by wildlifewatcher — May 28, 2012 @ 10:08 am
Thank you! Yes, the seed head on this one is quite unexpected.
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 10:05 pm
I love the name and your beautiful photos – as always!
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Comment by farmhouse stories — May 28, 2012 @ 7:55 pm
Thanks! “Prairie Smoke” is one of my favorite wildflower names!
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Comment by montucky — May 28, 2012 @ 10:07 pm
Very nice photos. We have the same wildflower it seems (Geum rivale), but yours look a bit different from ours.
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Comment by bentehaarstad — May 29, 2012 @ 5:54 am
I’ve read that rivale does grow in this general area but I haven’t run across it yet. From photos it appears to have a more open blossom, which would be very pretty!
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Comment by montucky — May 29, 2012 @ 8:24 pm
They’re so beautiful, they don’t look real!
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Comment by zannyro — May 29, 2012 @ 9:20 pm
They are unusual, but whatever their strategy is, it works. They are plentiful. I find them very beautiful.
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Comment by montucky — May 29, 2012 @ 11:14 pm
Love these. They ave so much texture and personality — comes through even in a photograph. Must have been a poet who named it.
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Comment by Bo Mackison (@bo_mackison) — May 31, 2012 @ 7:38 am
They do have a lot of personality. They are small and quite shy, but well worth a close look.
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Comment by montucky — May 31, 2012 @ 9:05 pm
What an interesting plant, gorgeously photographed.
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Comment by Watching Seasons — May 31, 2012 @ 5:42 pm
Thanks! Strange little things, but rather haunting, easy to remember.
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Comment by montucky — May 31, 2012 @ 9:06 pm
That last photo is N-CRED-I-BLE!!
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Comment by kcjewel — May 31, 2012 @ 6:34 pm
The seeds compete with the flower for beauty, don’t they!
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Comment by montucky — May 31, 2012 @ 9:07 pm
Gorgeous & great composition! I really do enjoy your flowers & info, and I’m trying to learn!
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Comment by bayphotosbydonna — June 1, 2012 @ 8:49 am
I’m very pleased that you enjoy them! They are beautiful little flowers.
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Comment by montucky — June 1, 2012 @ 10:11 pm
I’ve never sen these wildflowers before. They are gorgeous.
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Comment by Neita — June 5, 2012 @ 2:57 am
They are fairly small and I think they often are not noticed.
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2012 @ 8:36 pm