Species

Forb Species

Prairie Crocus – Pulsatilla nuttalliana (DC.) Spreng

Family Ranunculaceae

Photo Gallery

Rare form of P. nuttalliana

Origin & Status

Common. Native to North America.

Life Cycle

Perennial.

Synonyms & Other Names

Old synonyms: 

  • Anemone patens
  • Pulsatilla patens.

Newer synonyms:

  • Pulsatilla patens ssp. multifida
  • Anemone patens ssp. multifida.

Homotypic synonyms:

  • Anemone nuttalliana (DC.)
  • Anemone patens var. nuttalliana (DC) A. Gray.

Other common names:

  • Pasqueflower
  • American Pasqueflower
  • Cut-leaf Pasqueflower
  • Prairie Pasqueflower
  • Western Pasqueflower.

Key Characteristics to Note

P. nuttalliana has sparse to densely spreading long (some short) hairs on all surfaces of leaves, stems, and floral parts. It is one of the first plants to bloom after spring, unlike most other anemone species.

Flowers are pale blue to purple, many coloured on the backside of the sepals and whitish on the front, facing the anthers and style. Rarely are flowers also pale blue to purple on the inside (see photos above).

Achenes have a feathery “tail” (or style) that is 2 to 4 cm long. The seed head can be described as looking like a “wild-looking shaggy ball of threads.” Some may confuse this with Geum triflorum (Old Man’s Whiskers), where the seedheads appear similarly. However, these form a singular-directional tuft of styles as opposed to globose as with P. nuttalliana, and the tip is bare, not feathery. They are also reddish versus purplish, as with P. nuttalliana.

It remains vegetative for the remainder of the year post-bloom. Leaves are basal, ternately compound (divided into three parts), and are subdivided until each leaflet is a linear pointed segment that is around 2 to 4 mm wide.

When & Where to Find this Plant

The prairie crocus is a perennial forb. It can be found in all except the Subalpine ecoregions in Alberta. It prefers deep, well-drained soils, including sandy soils, especially on hillsides or tops of cliffs where the snow is most likely to disappear the soonest in the spring. They are also found in dry, open mixed-wood forests in montane regions and at higher elevations in pine forest communities.

P. nuttalliana tends to bloom shortly after snowmelt, typically between late March and early May. It is rarely found blooming in summer. Occasionally, some blooms may be found in the autumn if there has been adequate late-season moisture to encourage growth and blooming. Its bloom period is greatly affected by altitude.

Interesting Facts

The usage “Pasqueflower” is used in the States because it tends to bloom around Easter. Historically, before the 1920s, it was called prairie smoke, hartshorn plant, gosling, or simply crocus. The name “crocus” is not to be confused with the Eurasian native (and garden ornamental) Crocus (Crocus spp.), which is a member of the Iridaceae (Iris) Family.

The Dakota language calls this species “hokski-chekpa wahcha,” meaning “twin flower.” In Lakota, it is called “hoksi cekpa” or “child’s navel,” about how similar the flower buds appear to a newborn baby’s navel when it is healing. The Blackfoot Nation language calls it “napi” or “old man” for its grey, silky seed heads.

Bumblebees, hoverflies, honey bees, and solitary mining bees of the Andrenidae family are among the many insects that will cross-pollinate P. nuttalliana. Seeds are mainly dispersed by wind or catching on the fur of passing animals (or the pants of an unwary hiker).

Sources for More Information

iNaturalist – Prairie Pasqueflower – https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/881504-Pulsatilla-nuttalliana

E-Flora BC Atlas Profile – Prairie Crocus – https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Pulsatilla%20nuttalliana

Minnesota Wildflowers – American Pasqueflower – https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/american-pasqueflower