Native Plants to Grow: PURPLE PRARIE SMOKE

This is great for  attracting butterflies

This is one of my favorites. I live in zone 5 and and planted this last year in our native garden.

A little bit of information on it:

Geum triflorum Pursh

Old man's whiskers, Prairie smoke, Purple avens

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

USDA Symbol: getr

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

This is an attractive, 6-18 in. plant with foot-wide, basal clumps of ferny, blue-green, hairy leaves and reddish-purple, bell-shaped flowers that hang in groups of three. Clumps of feathery, plumed, pink-gray fruits stay on the plant much of the summer. The leaves of prairie smoke turn deep red in fall and are sometimes evergreen.
After fertilization, the bell-like flowers turn upward and plumes begin to grow from the pistils, ready to be caught by the wind or a passing animal and the seed so dispersed.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Dry
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Thin soil over limestone.
Conditions Comments: Mature plants frequently form dense mats creating an attractive ground cover. In addition to the soil preference listed, prairie smoke is known to occur on rich prairie loams, clay and sand.

Propagation

Description: Prairie smoke can be grown from seeds or from divisions. Rhizome cuttings or divisions of mature plants should be done in late summer or early spring.
Seed Collection: Collect seeds in late spring or early summer.
Seed Treatment: No pretreatment is necessary though stratification increases the germination rate.
Commercially Avail: yes