South Dakota State Flower
Pasque Flower (common name) Pulsatilla hirsutissima (scientific name) Overview The pasque flower became the South Dakota state flower in 1903 and is native to the state and much of north-central North America. It’s a type of anemone, a deciduous plant that grows in low clumps in meadows and on prairies. The plants grow close to the ground and have feathery, grayish leaves and silvery hairs all over, even on the outer sides of the petals. The flowers have six long, pointed petals that form a cup shape around the pistil and 150 to 200 yellow stamens. They bloom on straight stalks that rise up from the mounds. Initially, the flowers face upwards, but gradually they droop. The flowers may be white, purple, or a combination of the two. Petals are generally darker on the outside than on the inside. After flowering, the plant produces a cluster of achenes, dry fruits each containing one seed with a feathery or plumy tail that can catch the wind, allowing the plants to spread. Pasque flowers will grow in almost any sunny location, including flat plains, on hills, or on mountains. Often blooming through snow, in South Dakota they are an early sign of spring. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Duration: Perennial Plant: Feathery, hairy, gray-green leaves with single flowers on slender stalks Mature Height: 4–16 in (10–40.6 cm) Flowering: March through April Flowers: 2–3 in (5–8 cm) across Flower Color: White to purple Leaves: 2–3 in (5–8 cm), made up of three leaflets Fruit/Seed Color: Brown HABITAT Location: plains, foothills, and mountain meadows up to 10,000 feet (3,077 m) Range: Alaska southwards into Utah, eastwards to Illinois and northwards to Alberta TRIVIA Although pasque flowers are toxic, Native Americans sometimes used them as medicine. While they grow across South Dakota, the flowers are more common in its eastern region.
	Click to enlarge an image Pasque Flower Field of Pasque Flowers Close-up of Pasque Flower Pasque Flower after Bloom CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Plantae Subkingdom: Tracheobionta Superdivision: Spermatophyta Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Subclass: Magnoliidae Order: Ranunculales Family: Ranunculaceae Genus: Pulsatilla Species: P. hirsutissima
	Author: World Trade Press