Wildflowers are the ones that don’t require any help from humans to grow. They grow naturally in their habitat. These are native to grow in meadows, woods, wetlands, etc. Wildflowers have an enchanting look which allows them to attract the gardener’s attention. These flowers can become a part of your native home garden. There are many benefits of choosing native plants such as low maintenance and attracting pollinators like butterflies.
Identifying Wildflowers
Identifying wildflowers is a great way to know more about your backyard. Wherever you go hiking or camping next time, you will find it helpful in identifying the wildflowers and connecting to nature. To identify a wildflower look at its morphological characteristics like the size of the flower, shape, and number of its petals, sepals, leaves, color, etc. There are many books, websites, and apps available to help you identify flowers based on their floral characteristics. Once you note these characters, it is super easy to identify the particular specimen. Some of the characters worth noticing are:
What Color is The Flower?
Flowers have varying colors which makes them different from the others of the same genus. For example,
- Longleaf aster: white flowers with a yellow center
- Silvery lupine: Purple flower with a hairy legume pod that contains seeds.
- Violet and Red Campion: Purple flower
How Many Petals Does It Have?
Similarly, notice the number of its petals. For instance,
- Violet wildflower has 5 petals.
- Whereas, Red Campion has 7 petals.
- Cuckoo Flower has 4 petals.
What is its Size?
Plants like Corn Marigold, scentless mayweed, and poppy have large flowers. Whereas, bramble, creeping buttercup, feverfew, and Daisy flowers are smaller in size.
What is The Shape of The Petals?
The shape of petals is another important character in flower identification. For example:
- Violet wildflower: It has heart-shaped leaves and petals
- Blazing start: It has a spiky appearance
- Blanket flower: Frilled or sometimes tubular-shaped petals
Some wildflowers and their habitats
- Black-Eyed Susan
This perennial flower has a yellow color with a back center. It originated in the United States. It can reach up to 24 inches in length in 3 years.
- Southwestern mock vervain
Native to the Southwestern United States, mock vervain is a drought-tolerant plant that thrives in well-drained moist rocky soils. This wildflower grows up to 12 inches tall and thrives in both full sun and partial shade.
- Blazing star:
Blazing Star is also a perennial plant with purple-colored flowers that blossom from top to bottom. You may also see these in pinkish-red, purple-pink, or white colors. You will fall in love with these 48-inch tall plants of North American origin.
- Dutchmen’s breeches:
Beautiful white flowers of unique shape, 6-12 inches in size, originated from North America, this is Dutchman’s breeches. Garden gurus who are fond of bumblebees humming in their backyards must plant breeches. They need little care leaving you ample time to take care of other wildflowers in your home garden collection.
- Blanket flower:
Try blanket flower if you want to give your garden a bright feel, its bright red and yellow colors will not disappoint you. This plant grows almost 30 inches in height and grows to spread mounds which give the look of a blanket on their surrounding region.
- Liverleaf
American liverworts or liverleafs belonging to the genus Hepatica are perennial plants that have alluring purple flowers with a touch of light blue and pale pink. It is native to North America and Europe. These are humus-loving plants that thrive in filtered and partial sunlight.
- Wood anemone
If you prefer ground cover then wood anemone is for you. It will provide the look of beautiful carpets in your garden and meet your expectations. Their beautiful snow-white flowers will leave everyone enchanted. Anemone Quinquefolia is native to temperate zones and needs enough space to spread in the surrounding area.
- Wild Roses:
Thanks to their worldwide origin, wild roses can be found anywhere. This perennial shrub has ancient aesthetic appeal and a variety of different colors. However, the most commonly seen color is pink.
- Wild ginger
Wild ginger is not like the usual ginger which is available at grocery stores. Its origin is in southwestern Canada. This ginger has been used for medicinal purposes because of its antibiotic properties. It can also treat certain skin diseases. Give your wild ginger plant partial shade and rich moist hummus soil. It can grow up to 6 inches tall when proper conditions are provided.
- Violet wildflowers:
Native to the northern hemisphere, violet wildflowers are hardy perennials that range from 4 to 10 inches in height. The best thing about these flowers is that you won’t have to propagate them after planting because they reseed for a long time.
Final Words:
When it comes to wildflower habitats, meadows are the first thing that comes to mind. However, this is not the case, these flowers grow in almost every habitat where they find suitable conditions for growth. Wildflowers give meadows a mesmerizing look so can they to your home garden. Identifying wildflowers and their habitats in your region is a great way to build a connection with nature.
