Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum var. triflorum)

Conservation • Weed • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

NR - Unranked
SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Wetland Indicator Status

Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

Description

Height

4″ to 16″

Flower Color

Pink to purplish

Similar Species

Habitat

Dry to moderate moisture. Prairies. Full sun.

Ecology

Flowering

April to June

Pests and Diseases

Use

Distribution

Sources

2, 3, 5, 7, 24, 28, 30, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 5/10/2026).

Midwest Herbaria Portal. 2026. https://midwestherbaria.org/portal/index.php. Accessed 5/10/2026.

Geum triflorum var. triflorum Pursh in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org. Accessed 5/10/2026.

Nativity

Native

Occurrence

Common

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae (Plants)

Subkingdom

Pteridobiotina

Phylum

Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants)

Class

Magnoliopsida (Dicots)

Order

Rosales (Roses, Elms, Figs, and Allies)

Family

Rosaceae (Rose)

Subfamily

Rosoideae (Brambles, Roses, Strawberries, and Allies)

Tribe

Colurieae (Avens)

Genus

Geum (Avens)

Species

Geum triflorum (prairie smoke)

Subordinate Taxa

Synonyms

Erythrocoma triflora

Common Names

old man’s whiskers

old-man’s-whiskers

prairie smoke

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Dan W. Andree

Prairie Smoke just starting to bloom...

The weather up here has some below 32 degree overnight temps and things a little slower at greening up thus far. Prairie Smoke was growing but hadn’t fully developed yet this is how it looked in my area on May 7, 2026 at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA. Not much going on out there it is slowly turning greener in areas but not really noticeable under a lot of last seasons tall dormant vegetation.

They did do some clearing of underbrush in the woodlands right along that county Hwy. not far from the parking area. Took out a few trees and a lot of underbrush and should be easier to walk into in the upcoming seasons.

I was out in that wooded area last season and it was so dense and thick could hardly walk and some plants and small trees like prickly ash had thorns which made it difficult in areas.

No wood ticks yet in any area I been out in, but it is warming up and next week sounds like a lot milder so they will be emerging in full force.

Reports ticks have already been out in some other areas.

Nancy Falkum

Minnesota Seasons Photos

Slideshows

Geum triflorum
Matt Lavin

About

Prairie Smoke
J.Steinbock

Geum triflorum PRAIRIE SMOKE
Frank Mayfield

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Visitor Sightings

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Dan W. Andree
5/7/2026

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

The weather up here has some below 32 degree overnight temps and things a little slower at greening up thus far. Prairie Smoke was growing but hadn’t fully developed yet this is how it looked in my area on May 7, 2026 at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA. Not much going on out there it is slowly turning greener in areas but not really noticeable under a lot of last seasons tall dormant vegetation.

They did do some clearing of underbrush in the woodlands right along that county Hwy. not far from the parking area. Took out a few trees and a lot of underbrush and should be easier to walk into in the upcoming seasons.

I was out in that wooded area last season and it was so dense and thick could hardly walk and some plants and small trees like prickly ash had thorns which made it difficult in areas.

No wood ticks yet in any area I been out in, but it is warming up and next week sounds like a lot milder so they will be emerging in full force.

Reports ticks have already been out in some other areas.

cmonoutside
6/15/2023

Location: Koochiching County

Nancy Falkum
5/27/2022