Prairie Crocus
Pulsatilla nuttalliana
Family:
Buttercup family - Ranunculaceae
The blooms close in the cold and the entire plant is protected by a fine 'fur'. Plants elongate as they mature? As flower petals drop, the maturing seed head becomes a mass of silvery fluff.
Meadow / Grassland garden
Naturalization
Early season star
Deer resistant
Details
Emerges
April
Seed collection
Flowers
April, May
White
Purple
July
Height
-
30
cm
Lifecycle
Perennial
Width
20
-
30
cm
Habit
Forbs
Taproot
Herbaceous
Ecology
Supports
Bees
Butterflies & Moths
Providing
Nectar source
Prairie crocus is a very early-flowering plant, occasionally blooming in south-facing meadows and warm parts of the prairies as early as March.
Habitat
Typically found in
meadows, prairie, open woods
In the Garden
Growing Conditions
Moisture
Dry
Average
Light
Full sun
Part sun
Soil
Average garden soil, Sand
Propagation
Via
Seeds
Sowing Recommendations
Fall planting
Low or difficult germination
Landscape
Use for:
Naturalization
Growing Tips
Stratify and then plant in well drained sandy soil.
Description
This plant first emerges from the ground as a hairy flower bud. When the purple sepals open they reveal bright yellow stamens inside. The flowers open in sunshine and close again in the evening and in cloudy weather. As flower petals drop, the maturing seed head becomes a mass of silvery fluff.