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Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Ezekiel 47:12 "And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine."
Nicknames: Prairie Smoke;[1] Old Man’s Whiskers[2], Purple (or Red) Avens[2], Long-Plumed Avens[2], and Three-Flowered Avens;[2] By the way, a Prairie is defined by Google as: "a large open area of grassland, especially in the Mississippi River valley."
Plant Family: Rosaceae;[1] Genus: Geum;[1] Species: G. triflorum;[1]
Ethnobotany: Indigenous people of the Blackfeet Nation made a medicinal tea out of the roots to treat sore throats, canker sores in the mouth, and they applied it topically to wounds.[1] It was made into a salve for rashes, blisters, sores, and wounds.[1] The whole plant was used in infusions to treat severe coughs.[1] The Native Americans combined the roots of G. triflorum with Tobacco and then smoked it to "Clear the head".[1] They drank a tea made from the whole plant to promote a healthy immune system and for general well-being.[1]
Natural Habitat: US & Canada;[2] Thrives in temperate and sub-arctic grasslands, and is hardy in zones 3-7.[2] It naturally grows where the ground is silty and loamy.[2] By the way, Google defines loamy as: "denoting or relating to a fertile soil of clay and sand containing humus." and silty as: "adjective. full of silt. “silty soil” loose. not compact or dense in structure or arrangement." Try adding some sand, and small rocks, and a decent amount of perlite.
OG Observations: In my opinion, plants like this one, that have little to no scientific inquiry into their phytochemical makeup yet, are some of the most important specimens. They are the key to new medicine, new drugs, and new insight into human biology, and how our bodies react to natural medicines that are produced by plants in the plant kingdom. I really like the name Prairie Smoke. It has that really awesome Native American vibe to it, ya know? I've always had a thing for slang names(nicknames). I love the indigenous vibe of the names of these native plants. I love the way this plant looks too, it's really cool.
What is Phytochemistry? What are Phytochemicals? Phytochemistry is the study of the pharmacological chemical compoents of medicinal plants. Ethnobotany and phytochemistry are related beacause it is the ethnobotanist who helps the phytochemist know which plants to study. I am working to bring back Native American medicine, and repopularize it in hopes that researchers gain an interest in it more than they already have. Prairie smoke(Geum triflorum) may produce rare and very important phytochemicals never before known to man for all we know. We need to get it into the lab and have a look at whats beneath the surface. Common examples of popular phytochemicals include: CBD, THC, Caffeine, Nicotine, etc.
Phytochemicals: There doesn't seem to be a lot if any phytochemical studies on this Prairie Smoke(Geum triflorum) yet. It's one of those, but most of the plants listed on this website have a ton of scientific study to back them up. The results of the studies are always interesting.
Pharmacological / Medicinal Properties: I found one study where Prairie Smoke(Geum triflorum) has been studied for its anti-microbial properties.[3] Other than that, this plant seems to have little to no phytochemical research published on it to date. It's simply not there yet. Not every plant makes its way into the laboratory, but you would be baffled at how many have been thoroughly studied.
Related Ethnobotanicals: Blazing Star(Liatris spicata), Bluebell(Campanula rotundifloria), Cream Bush(Holodiscus discolor)[Ocean Spray], Dogbane, means "crazy dog", Ephedra distachya produces ephedrine also!, Creeping Snowberry(Gaultheria hispidula), Monarda fistulosa, Khat (Catha edulis)
Buy Prairie Smoke Seeds & Plants
Academic citations:
[2] https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/prairie-smoke-geum-triflorum/
[3] Towers, G. H. N., et al. "Antimicrobial activities of phytochemicals from British Columbian medicinal plants." Chemistry, Biological and Pharmacological Properties of Medicinal Plants from the Americas. Routledge, 2018. 125-142.
Encyclopedia Sources:
[1] Wikipedia contributors, "Geum triflorum," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geum_triflorum (accessed December 13, 2024).
Other resources:
M.A.P.S. Ethnobotanical Studies By Scholars
PubChem - pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov