[Avens: The Genus Geum in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens

Geum triflorum

Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata

Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata)

Old man's whiskers as seen east of the Tygh Ridge summit to the north of Tygh Valley, OR.

Characteristics:

Prairie Smoke is a perennial, often to 30 cm broad, consisting primarily of basal leaves which are compound-pinnate. The blades are from 5-18 cm long and the numerous leaflets are parted or dissected. The blades are covered with long, grayish hairs. The flowering stems are reddish and may be up to 40 cm tall, with a pair of reduced leaves at midstem.

The flowers are terminal, with one to nine flowers in a cyme. The calyx is reddish-purple to pink or yellow in color. The 5 petals are light yellow, white, pink, or red-purple tinged. When in bloom, the flowers nod or arch downward. As the fruits mature, the flower becomes erect. The fruits are elongate, feathery achenes.


Importance:

Native Americans boiled the roots to make a tea. The plant is an interesting perennial for the rock garden or prairie garden.


Habitat:

Prairie smoke is found in moist sagebrush plains and foothills, to subalpine ridges and talus slopes.


Range:

Old Man's Whiskers may be found on the eastern side of the Cascades from British Columbia south to the Sierra Nevada. It is found eastward to Newfoundland, and south to New York, Illinois, Nebraska, through the Rockies to New Mexico and Nevada.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found in the Columbia Hills north of The Dalles, OR near 3000'.


Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata)

Prairie smoke growing on the north-facing slope of Stacker Butte in the Columbia Hills north of The Dalles, Oregon..........May 18, 2012.

Flower of Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata) -- Flower of Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata)

Close-ups of the pendant flowers of prairie smoke as seen on north-facing slopes of the Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve..........May 10, 2009.


Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata)

Prairie smoke blooming in the drier meadows surrounding Panakanic located at the head of Rattlesnake Creek in western Klickitat County...........May 17, 2013.

Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata) - Seed head of Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata)

Prairie smoke blooming in the drier meadows surrounding Panakanic located at the head of Rattlesnake Creek in western Klickitat County...........June 8, 2014.


Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata)

Seed heads of prairie smoke in the drier meadows surrounding Panakanic located at the head of Rattlesnake Creek in western Klickitat County...........June 17, 2013.

Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata) - Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata)

Prairie smoke beginning to bloom in wetlands along Box Canyon Road about one-third of a mile west of Box Canyon, East Simcoe Mountains Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area......May 23, 2020.

Old Man's Whiskers, Prairie Smoke, Red Avens: Geum triflorum (Synonyms: Erythrocoma campanulata, Erythrocoma ciliata, Geum campanulatum, Geum canescens, Geum ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. campanulatum, Geum triflorum var. canescens, Geum triflorum var. ciliatum, Geum triflorum var. triflorum, Sieversia canescens, Sieversia ciliata)

Prairie smoke blooming in openings between Oregon white oaks near the South Klickitat Breaks Road, Klickitat Wildlife Area..........May 17, 2014.

Paul Slichter