Prairie Plant Gallery

Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens) is one of the first plant species to bloom in the spring. Sometimes, plants begin blooming while there is still snow on the ground! This species is a member of the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and can be identified by its 5-8 white to violet petal-like sepals, its numerous yellow stamens, and the silky hairs covering its stem and leaves. These hairs serve as insulation for the plant during cold spring weather. Pasque Flowers are pollinated primarily by bumblebees. In the Arb, look for the Pasque Flower blooming from late March to early April in the sandy areas east of the Marc von Trapp Memorial.