The plant and the clusters of red berries that appear in late summer contain crystals of acid that make it inedible. Trillium has a relatively large three-petaled, white bloom at the top of the stalk. Three large green leaves provide a perfect backdrop for this showy flower. Prairies are starting their annual cycle of ever-changing blooms. Prairie smoke, puccoon and bird's-foot violet can be found now.
Prairie smoke sends up short stalks that have nodding, deep mauve flowers.
The long-plumed seeds that come later have given this plant its name. The seed heads appear, from a distance, to be a puff of smoke near the ground. Puccoons have clusters of small trumpet-shaped flowers on an uncurling spray. The root of this plant was used as a dye. Birds-foot violet is a violet that is native to prairies.