Eastern Mountain avens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eastern Mountain avens
Conservation status
Imperiled (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Geum
Species:	peckii

Geum peckii is a special kind of flowering plant. It's a herb that lives for many years. This plant is part of the rose family. Most people call it mountain avens. You can only find it in two places in eastern North America. These are the White Mountains in New Hampshire and three spots in Nova Scotia, Canada.

What is Mountain Avens Like?

Mountain Avens growing in its natural home.

This plant is a perennial herb. It usually grows about 20 to 40 centimeters (8 to 16 inches) tall. Its leaves are made up of several small, round leaflets.

Flowers and Seeds

Bright yellow flowers appear from June through September. Each flower is about 1 to 3 centimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) wide. The plant can make copies of itself in two ways. It can spread using underground stems called rhizomes. It also makes seeds, with about 50 seeds per flower. In New Hampshire, flies likely help pollinate the flowers.

Where Does Mountain Avens Grow?

The first person to collect this plant was a botanist named William Dandridge Peck. He found it in 1804 on Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

Habitats in New Hampshire

In the White Mountains, Geum peckii grows in cool, high-up areas. You can find it in alpine snowfields and meadows. It also likes streambanks in subalpine areas, which are just below the treeline.

Habitats in Nova Scotia

In Nova Scotia, this plant lives in different places. It grows in bogs and other wet areas near the coast. These spots are often along the Bay of Fundy.

What Threats Does It Face?

Geum peckii is a rare plant, and it faces several challenges.

Climate Change

Changes in the climate could make it harder for this plant to survive. Warmer weather might allow trees and shrubs to grow in its open habitats. This is already happening on Brier Island in Nova Scotia.

Other Dangers

Other threats include too many visitors to its habitats. People might accidentally damage the plants. Collecting too many plants can also harm the population. On Brier Island, ditches were built that lowered the water level. This made it easier for gulls to nest there. The gulls then brought seeds of weedy plants into the area. These new plants can compete with the native mountain avens.

Is It Similar to Other Plants?

Geum peckii looks very much like another plant called Geum radiatum. It's hard to tell them apart just by looking at them. However, scientists have studied their genes. This research shows that they are indeed two separate species.