Smoke on the Savanna

Geum triflorum in the beginning of the smoke stage

In the end of May the students at the course in garden design at the University in Alnarp visited the new plantings in the city park of Laholm. The savanna has its best development during summer and early autumn with a beautiful display of Coneflowers, Echinacea and Ratibida, and of course all colorful grasses.

At this time of the year some parts of the savanna are dominated by the Prairie Smoke, Geum triflorum. It is a delicious little plant with deep brownish red flowers followed by mauve seed heads resembling soft, smoky feathers. The plant is creeping slowly by runners and will build up small colonies after some few years. Hopefully they will also be able to spread by seeds.

There are some other plants at the savanna in bloom during late May and early June and the brightest among them is the Golden Alexanders, Zizia aurea. The Canadian Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis is already coloring the savanna red, soon also the flax open its pale blue flowers and then the early summer blooming has started.

Prairie Smoke, Geum triflorum

Zizia aurea is flowering in May at the savanna in Laholm

The Canadian Columbine has hanging flowers in red and yellow