Wildflowers in Spring

We are really lucky to have a wide variety of native wildflowers growing in the woods at our nursery.  What's interesting, is that many of these are now in our gardens. We didn't plant any of them -- they just showed up!  We're thinking the birds must be bringing in the seeds. Or, they're showing up in the mulch that we put on the garden beds.

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) - a hummingbird magnet!  Grows 1-2 feet tall and self seeds when it's happy.

Our area has wet soils and is heavily wooded, so it's great habitat for native wildflowers.  Most of these are rare and protected species (illegal to dig up), so we value them even more!

Enjoy the photos of these lovely native wildflowers.  If you want wildflowers in your garden, please buy them from a licensed nursery that has propagated these plants to ensure that the wild populations aren't destroyed. That way, our treasured native wildflowers will be available for generations to come to enjoy!

Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquifolia) - a low-growing spring ephemeral that blankets the ground in our woods.

Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum).  The leaves look like speckled trout, hence the name.  Nodding flowers that form seed pods that will expand the area of this plant quickly in the right conditions.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis).  The flowers appear first above the deeply lobed, fan-like foliage. The roots have a red sap, which is how this plant got its name.  

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum). These are amazing flowers!  It has one or 2 very large leaves that are divided into three leaflets.  The flowers are followed by a cluster of red seedpods or fruit.  Just amazing.

Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica). We first noticed these growing in our lawn!  They are about 3-inches tall and have strap-like leaves.  The flowers are so dainty and beautiful! 

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum).  These blanket the woods in the spring!  The leaf characteristics are in the name "tri" or three that appear in what's called a whorl.  The large flowers start out white and then fade to pink.  Just gorgeous!

Wood Violet (Viola sororia). The pretty little violets are all over our garden and woods.  They self-seed readily to the point of becoming weedy in our vegetable gardens!  But, even though they are common for us, they're still uncommon where their habitat has been lost.

We're so glad to share these photos of our native wildflowers.  Please remember that if you want these rare and protected plants in your garden, please buy them from a licensed nursery that has propaged these plants so that the native plants are not destroyed and are available for future generations to enjoy!