Pasque flowers brighten early spring garden

Pasque flowers are one of those early spring bloomers that brighten up the garden well before most plants have budded out. Native to Europe and western Asia, its name refers to the timing of its blooms during the Paschal, or Easter, season. In the Midwest, it often is called prairie smoke.

This alpine plant grows best in partial shade but will grow in full sun if the soil is kept regularly moist and is well-drained. Some references indicate they don’t thrive in warm, dry areas, but I’ve never had any problems growing them here in the Inland Northwest.

The fernlike leaves are covered with silky hairs, giving the plant a fuzzy, soft look. The bell-shaped flowers bloom in April and May, are singles and have no fragrance. The flowers are 2 to 3 inches in size with bright yellow stamens that easily attract bees. Purple is the most common color, but there are cultivars with lilac or red flowers. I have the red cultivar, rubra, and it’s quite stunning.

The seed clusters of the spent flowers look like feathery pompoms and provide interest in the garden long after the flowers are gone. Many members of the buttercup family are quite invasive, but you needn’t worry about that with Pasque flowers. They don’t self-sow very easily, so it is safe to leave the seed heads on the plants for a while. These plants can be propagated by seed or by division in the spring.

Pasque flowers also are used as a perennial herb. The dried plants have been used by homeopaths to treat vision, gastrointestinal and urinary disorders, as well as headaches and toothaches.