The three-flowered avens is one of those lucky plants known by several common names, including prairie smoke and, yes, old man"s whiskers. The hardy perennial blooms across North American prairies in the springtime, setting off purple-tinged, closed bell-shaped buds that hang downward in clumps of three. After bees go to work pollinating the buds, the fertilized flowers open and turn skyward transforming their pistils into soft swirling tendrils that are said to resemble an old man"s whiskers. Take a good look at our image and decide if that"s what comes to mind for you. As summer marches on, the plants continue their spectacular show as the fuzzy seed heads take on a pink-tinged cast resembling low-lying prairie smoke.
Old man s whiskers growing wild
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Guiding ships to safety
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Sunbeams across Tartu County, Estonia
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Pantaleu
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Crown Fountain by Jume Plensa at Millennium Park in Chicago
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International Day of Forests
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Oktoberfest begins
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Did they forget to fly south?
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St. Patricks Day in County Waterford, Ireland
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Honoring our veterans
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Here s looking Atchafalaya
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Desert rose of Qatar
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Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
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Presidents Day
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World Migratory Bird Day
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‘Stepping’ into Black History Month
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In honor of those we ve lost
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Mardi Gras flower power
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Adorable activism
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Dragon dance performed in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China
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World Art Day
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Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan
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It s truffle season here in the Dordogne Valley
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The buzz about bees
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A grotesque scene
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Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
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Joshua Tree National Park
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World Otter Day
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Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, California
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Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province, China
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Vale of Edale, Peak District, England