How to grow and care for prairie smoke plant

 

This plant known as prairie smoke plant is a plant of many uses. This plant really works well in a garden setting or in a prairie or meadow-like environment. Prairie smoke wildflower can be use as a ground cover, in a rock garden, or it can be add to beds and borders with other similar growing plants like wild flax, coneflower and liatris (blazing star). Back in the days prairie smoke wildflower was even used for medicinal purposes as a remedy for different illnesses.

Furthermore, Prairie smoke wildflower is naturally found growing in prairies within the United States. Prairie smoke wildflower is a low-growing plant, the fern-like gray-green foliage is semi-evergreen, turning orange, red or purple in late fall and then lasting throughout winter. Actually this wildflower is among one of the earliest blooming prairie plants of spring and it also continue throughout summer with nodding rose-pink colored flowers. The plant bloom is followed by the long plumed seedpods, which actually look a lot like puffs of smoke, giving the plant its name.

How to Plant Prairie Smoke plant

Actually growing this plant is easy. Prairie smoke plant tolerant almost any soil type including sandy and clay soils. On the other hand the plant prefers a well-draining soil enriched with organic matter. The plant can tolerate partial shade, but it performs much better in full sun. Prairie smoke plant is usually planted in spring but fall planting can also be done. The Prairie smoke plants that are started by seed indoors need to be stratified for at least 4 to 6 weeks prior to sowing them in late winter. The plant seedlings are normally ready to be planted outdoors come spring. The seeds can also be sow outdoors in fall, and then allow nature to do the rest.

  How to care for prairie smoke plant

This plant is actually considered a low maintenance plant. Actually there is little involved with the plant care. The plant needs to receive adequate moisture during spring growth most especially those newly planted. The plant also prefers drier conditions during the remainder of the year as it’s quite drought tolerant in its native habitat. The Prairie smoke plants typically self-seeds or spreads underground, you can easily save the plant seeds for growing elsewhere or divide the plant clumps in spring or fall. Make sure you allow the plant seed heads to remain on the plant until it become dry and golden colored before harvesting for later planting. They can also be used in dried flower arrangements by cutting the entire stems and hanging them upside down in a warm, dry location.