Puccoons are among the showiest late-spring prairie wildflowers in Minnesota.
They may begin blooming by late April, and some continue blooming into July. In eastern Minnesota, the two most common species are frustratingly easy to confuse. Hoary puccoon is a better indicator of a prairie that has had little or no disturbance, as it tends to be intolerant of grazing or changes to the soil. Over the years, I've heard and read many ways to distinguish between the two, but none is entirely satisfactory. Hoary puccoon's blossoms are somewhat more orange and smaller than those of Carolina puccoon.