I'm looking for this prairie flower...
March 2, 2012 9:30 AM

In the book I'm translating, the author lists a number of wildflowers. I need to find the botanic name of one of them, but he (or his agent) doesn't reply to my questions. Here's hoping AskMe can help.

"The prairie was covered with wildflowers: bluestem and Indian grass, shooting stars and blazing stars, heartbeats, Golden Alexander, pale-purple cornflower, death camas, butterfly milkweed, and rattlesnake master."

I need help with these 'heartbeats'. With a name like that, Google isn't much help. If it helps, the place is Thornton, Iowa.

I'm looking for the latin name, or perhaps an alternative english name I can search for.
posted by Skyanth to Home & Garden (14 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
Dicentra perhaps?
posted by humboldt32 at 9:40 AM on March 2, 2012


There's also a variety of rose and a variety of sweet pea by that name, but I doubt that these domesticated flowers are what the author means.
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:47 AM on March 2, 2012


Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), members of the digitalis family, used to treat heart ailments was what I thought of.
posted by LN at 9:48 AM on March 2, 2012


I can't give you an answer, but you should ask the question here:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/iowa/

It could be a local name for a common plant.
posted by Monkeyswithguns at 9:52 AM on March 2, 2012


Heartsease?
posted by vickyverky at 9:53 AM on March 2, 2012


There's this as well, Heartleaf (not heartbeat).
posted by LN at 10:03 AM on March 2, 2012


It's probably the Iris called Heartbeat Away. They're called Heartbeats by the florists in the shop where I work occasionally. They're a bulb and are very prolific in late spring.
posted by iconomy at 10:29 AM on March 2, 2012


Oops I forgot to add that iris isn't a wildflower but around here there are many which do grow wild so it's a possibility.
posted by iconomy at 10:33 AM on March 2, 2012


In what region is the prairie located?
posted by jquinby at 11:07 AM on March 2, 2012


Seconding jquinby - if it's in the US, you may want to have a look at the Dictionary of American Regional English, which gives the more broadly-used equivalents for many state/region-specific wildflower common names, making it easier to find the scientific name (example).
posted by ryanshepard at 11:12 AM on March 2, 2012


Sorry - the "example" link should go here.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:13 AM on March 2, 2012


The OP says it's in Iowa.
posted by iconomy at 11:28 AM on March 2, 2012


So it does! I checked with my father, who hails from those parts, and he also suggested bleeding hearts as a possibility.
posted by jquinby at 12:11 PM on March 2, 2012


The OP says it's in Iowa.

Argh - thanks for pointing that out.
posted by ryanshepard at 12:38 PM on March 2, 2012


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