Cold hardiness

Future

2050

2100

These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7a

Plotwright

Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).

Well-suited

In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future

2050

2100

Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.

Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 34 ecoregions — 26 climate-resilient through 2070 · 8 suited today. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

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Arizona Mountains forests

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Blue Mountains forests

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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

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Central Tallgrass prairie

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Central-Southern Cascades Forests

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Colorado Rockies forests

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Cross-Timbers savanna-woodland

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Eastern Canadian Forest-Boreal transition

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What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun / Part shade

Water

Low water

Spacing

12"

Habit

Low rhizomatous native prairie perennial forming a soft, hairy groundcover mat

Care tips

•

Give it sharp drainage and a dry-to-medium site in full sun — it rots in wet winter soil.

•

Leave the spent flowers to develop the feathery "smoke" seed plumes, the plant's signature show.

•

In hot-summer regions site it where it gets some afternoon shade; it is happiest in cool summers.

Lifecycle

Planting

Plant in spring or early fall in full sun (light shade tolerated; some afternoon shade helps in hot summers) in dry to medium, well-drained soil. Prefers cool-summer climates and is intolerant of wet winter conditions, so avoid soggy or poorly drained sites (Missouri Botanical Garden).

Transplanting

Move or divide by rhizome cuttings or divisions of mature plants in late summer or early spring (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center).

Early growth

Water to establish, then keep on the dry side — this is a drought- and dry-soil-tolerant prairie plant that resents wet feet (Missouri Botanical Garden).

Maturity

Mature plants reach roughly 16 inches tall, spread slowly by rhizomes to form an attractive low groundcover mat, and carry nodding spring flowers followed by the upright feathery seed plumes. Low maintenance (Missouri Botanical Garden).

Propagation

Grow from seed or from divisions. Collect seed in late spring or early summer; no pretreatment is necessary, though cold stratification increases the germination rate. Rhizome cuttings or divisions are taken in late summer or early spring (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center).

Pollination

Self-fertile

The nodding spring flowers are insect-pollinated; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center notes prairie smoke has conspicuous flowers and attracts butterflies. The early, nodding, partly closed bells are also worked by queen bumble bees foraging early in the season. After bloom the plant sets the feathery plumose seed heads it is named for, dispersed by wind.

Plants don't grow alone

Nectar forage

Bee

Common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens)

The early, nodding spring flowers are a documented butterfly draw (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center) and are typical of the early-season blooms worked by emerging queen bumble bees; bombus-impatiens stands in for the early native-bee foragers.

Pollen forage

Bee

Mining bees (Andrena spp.)

For people

Not eaten by humans

Grown as a native ornamental and low groundcover, not as a food crop. Missouri Botanical Garden notes that Native Americans once boiled the roots to make a medicinal root tea (used for wound applications and sore throat); this is a historical ethnobotanical use, not a culinary one, and is not a recommendation.

Native range

Native across 19 US states + 4 CA provinces.

AHS heat range

1-9

Native ecoregions

Naturally belongs in 30 ecoregions — its native range crosses a state or province each one spans (not necessarily this exact habitat).

Arizona Mountains forests

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Atlantic coastal pine barrens

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Blue Mountains forests

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California coastal sage and chaparral

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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

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Central Tallgrass prairie

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Central-Southern Cascades Forests

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Chihuahuan desert

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Colorado Rockies forests

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Climate notes

•

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists Geum triflorum for USDA zones 3 to 7 in full sun and dry-to-medium, well-drained soil; it tolerates drought and dry soil, prefers cool summer climates, and is intolerant of wet winter conditions.

•

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center documents it as native across the northern and western US (AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, MI, MN, MT, ND, NM, NV, NY, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, WY) and into western and central Canada (AB, MB, ON, SK), in dry open woods, prairies, open slopes, and mountain meadows; it tolerates circumneutral, high-lime soils including thin soil over limestone.

•

Tolerates cool to warm summer heat — a cool-summer-adapted plant of the northern Plains, Great Basin, and mountain meadows; Missouri Botanical Garden notes it prefers cool summers and benefits from afternoon shade in hot climates, so performance degrades in Hot- and Extreme-tier summers.

In the designer

Growth over time

6-18" tall · 6-12" spread

Mature rhizomatous mat to about 16 inches with full bloom + plume display.

Design roles: Border · Pollinator · Filler

Prairie smoke

At a glance

Related products

Why it matters

Cold hardiness

Heat tolerance

Where this plant fits

What it needs

Lifecycle

Pollination

Plants don't grow alone

For people

Native range

Climate notes

In the designer

Sources & citations