prairie wildflower
Yellow Mountain-avens
Dryas drummondii
Also known as Drummond's Mountain-avens, Yellow Dryas
1 of 2Native to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington and southern Canada
Alaska, south to all but southwestern British Columbia; Rockies to Montana; Pend Oreille county, Washington; Wallowa county, Oregon; scattered eastern in Canada
- Light Full sun Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry Moisture preference
- Zones 1–8 Cold to heat range
- Bloom May–Jul Flowering time
- Height up to 9 in to 23 cm
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A prairie wildflower for full sun and lean, dry soil. At up to 9 in, it tucks into meadows and sunny borders. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 1–8.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
Pollinators & wildlife
- Butterflies Northern Blue
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington and southern CanadaUnited States (5): AK, ID, MT, OR, WA. Canada (1): BC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Alaska, south to all but southwestern British Columbia; Rockies to Montana; Pend Oreille county, Washington; Wallowa county, Oregon; scattered eastern in CanadaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 1–8 · Canadian 0–8The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Well-drained, sandy or gravelly soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Drought tolerance
- HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
- Salinity tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 9 in (to 23 cm)Typical mature height.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- SlowA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ProstrateIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 12+ in (30+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- May–JulWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~0.9 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.