A wildflower (or wild flower) is a

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

nor a selected

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

that is in any way different from the way it appears in the wild as a

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...

, even if it is growing where it would not naturally. The term can refer to the flowering plant as a whole, even when not in bloom, and not just the flower. "Wildflower" is not an exact term. More precise terms include ''native species'' (naturally occurring in the area, see

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

), ''exotic'' or, better, ''

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...

'' (not naturally occurring in the area), of which some are labelled ''

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

'' (that out-compete other plants – whether native or not), ''imported'' (introduced to an area whether deliberately or accidentally) and ''naturalized'' (introduced to an area, but now considered by the public as native). In the United Kingdom, the organization

Plantlife International Plantlife is the international conservation membership charity working to secure a world rich in wild plants and fungi. It is the only UK membership charity dedicated to conserving wild plants and fungi in their natural habitats and helping peo ...

instituted the "County Flowers scheme" in 2002, see

County flowers of the United Kingdom In 2002 Plantlife ran a "County Flowers" campaign to assign flowers to each of the counties of the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. The results of this campaign designated a single plant species to a "county or metropolitan area" in the UK and Is ...

for which members of the public nominated and voted for a wildflower emblem for their

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

. The aim was to spread awareness of the heritage of native species and about the need for conservation, as some of these species are endangered. For example,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

has adopted the

cheddar pink ''Dianthus gratianopolitanus'', commonly known as the Cheddar pink or clove pink, is a species of plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial, hardy to zones 4–8. It grows to a height of 0.5 to 1 feet, blooming from May ...

(''

Dianthus ''Dianthus'' () is a genus of about 340 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species in north Africa and in southern Africa, and one species (''D. repens'') in arctic North Ameri ...

gratianopolitanus''),

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

the

rosebay willowherb ''Chamaenerion angustifolium'' is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae. It is known in North America as fireweed, in some parts of Canada as great willowherb, in Britain and Ireland as rosebay willowherb. In ...

(''Chamerion angustifolium'') and

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...

/Sir Ddinbych in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

the rare limestone woundwort (''

Stachys ''Stachys'' is a genus of plants, one of the largest in the mint family Lamiaceae.Harley, R. M., et al. 2004. "Labiatae". pages 167–275. In: Kubitzki, K. (editor) and J. W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants ...

alpina''). Annual and perennial wildflowers Perennial

meadows A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifici ...

thrive best on poor soils because the grasses compete less with the wildflowers. If you have rich soil, it is worth removing the top layer and sowing directly into dug or rotovated sub-soil. The difference between

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

and

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

wildflowers: from the definition of “annual” – to appear once a year and this applies directly to wildflowers (and all plants in general!). Annual wildflowers bloom grow vibrantly all season long. Then come winter they die, just like ''all'' ''annual'' plants. On the other hand, perennial wildflowers will come back every spring for many years. Annuals grow, bloom and die all in the same year. You can also collect the seeds at the end of the season and replant them yourself - and this extra work will give you another bloom next season. For these reasons, it is often thought that perennials are the better option. Mainly because they show their face year after year. But on the other hand, they grow slowly and will not bloom in the first year. When and where to sow wildflower meadows Sow during March and April or in September, depending on soil conditions (in

temperate climates In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

). On lighter soils, autumn-sown seeds generally

germinate Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, fer ...

and establish quickly, although some will not come up until the following spring. This delay makes it advisable to wait until March or April on heavy soils, as waterlogging may cause the seed and seedlings to rot during winter. Wildflowers for pollinators, birds and insects Adding a wildflower meadow to your

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...

is the best way to attract more

bees Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

and encourages them to collect more

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

and

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

to help feed their

colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...

. Wildflowers are also a substantial food source for pollinators like bees and

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

. Over the last hundred years, it’s estimated the UK has gon
from 7.5 million acres of wildflower meadows to just 26,000 acres
One of the repercussions of this decline is an enormous drop in the population of pollinators, including bees. Gardens can support good numbers and a wide range of pollinators, but worryingly bees and other pollinators are in decline
Gardeners can make a difference
to help reverse this trend. Due to the rich diversity of plants growing in Britain’s gardens, these outside spaces, and the gardeners who tend them, are critical to support a wide range of pollinators. There can be more pollinators in our nation’s gardens than in surrounding agricultural land.

Examples

* ''

Adonis aestivalis ''Adonis aestivalis'', the summer pheasant's-eye, is a medicinal and ornamental plant. It is native to Europe and Asia but has been introduced elsewhere, such as the western and eastern parts of the United States, as an ornamental plant. In part ...

'', summer pheasant's-eye * ''

Anagallis ''Anagallis'' is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae, commonly called pimpernel. The scarlet pimpernel referred to in literature is part of this genus. The botanical name is from the Greek ( 'again') ...

'', pimpernel * ''

Agrostemma githago ''Agrostemma githago'', the common corn-cockle (also written "corncockle") is a herbaceous annual flowering plant in the pink and carnation family Caryophyllaceae. Description It grows with a stem to long with lanceolate leaves. The flowers ar ...

'', common corn-cockle * ''

Alnus glutinosa ''Alnus glutinosa'', the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations whe ...

'', common alder * ''

Anthemis arvensis ''Anthemis arvensis'', also known as corn chamomile, mayweed, scentless chamomile, or field chamomile is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Anthemis'', in the aster family. It is used as an ornamental plant. Distribution ;Native :;P ...

'', corn chamomile * ''

Callirhoe involucrata ''Callirhoe involucrata'' is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name purple poppy-mallow. It is native to the United States and northern Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican St ...

'', purple poppy-mallow * ''

Centaurea cyanus ''Centaurea cyanus'', commonly known as cornflower or bachelor's button, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Europe. In the past, it often grew as a weed in cornfields (in the broad sense of "corn", referring to gra ...

'', cornflower * ''

Coreopsis tinctoria Plains coreopsis, garden tickseed, golden tickseed, or calliopsis, ''Coreopsis tinctoria'', is an annual forb. The plant is common in Canada (from Quebec to British Columbia), northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas), and much of th ...

'', plains coreopsis * ''

Dianthus barbatus ''Dianthus'' () is a genus of about 340 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species in north Africa and in southern Africa, and one species (''D. repens'') in arctic North Ameri ...

'', sweet William * ''

Digitalis purpurea ''Digitalis purpurea'', the foxglove or common foxglove, is a poisonous species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, native to and widespread throughout most of temperate Europe. It has also naturalised in parts of North Ame ...

'', foxglove * ''Dimorphotheca aurantiaca'', glandular Cape marigold * ''

Eschscholzia californica ''Eschscholzia californica'', the California poppy, golden poppy, California sunlight or cup of gold, is a species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae, native to the United States and Mexico. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant f ...

'', California poppy *''

Ficaria verna ''Ficaria verna'' (formerly ''Ranunculus ficaria'' ), commonly known as lesser celandine or pilewort, is a low-growing, hairless perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae native to Europe and Western Asia. It has fleshy dar ...

'', lesser celandine * ''

Glebionis segetum ''Glebionis segetum'' (syn. ''Chrysanthemum segetum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, probably native only to the eastern Mediterranean region but now naturalized in western and northern Europe as well as China and par ...

'', corn marigold * ''

Gypsophila elegans ''Gypsophila elegans'', the annual baby's-breath or showy baby's-breath, is an ornamental plant native to Asia and Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical siz ...

'', annual baby's-breath * '' ''Lantana spp.'', shrub verbenas * ''

Papaver rhoeas ''Papaver rhoeas'', with common names including common poppy, corn poppy, corn rose, field poppy, Flanders poppy, and red poppy, is an annual herbaceous species of flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. It is a temperate native with ...

'', common poppy * ''

Petasites hybridus ''Petasites hybridus'', the butterbur, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe and northern Asia. Although used over centuries in traditional medicine to treat various disorders, there are no approved ...

'', butterbur * ''

Phlox drummondii ''Phlox drummondii'' (commonly annual phlox or Drummond's phlox) is a flowering plant in the genus ''Phlox'' of the family (biology), family Polemoniaceae. native plant, Native to Texas, it is also widely distributed in the southeastern United St ...

'', annual phlox * ''

Potentilla sterilis ''Potentilla sterilis'', also called strawberryleaf cinquefoil or barren strawberry, is a perennial herbaceous species of flowering plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It is native to Europe. Description The plant looks rather like wild woodla ...

'', strawberryleaf cinquefoil * ''

Prunus padus ''Prunus padus'', known as bird cherry, hackberry, hagberry, or Mayday tree, is a flowering plant in the rose family. It is a species of cherry, a deciduous small tree or large shrub up to tall. It is the type species of the subgenus '' Padus' ...

'', bird cherry * ''

Silene latifolia ''Silene latifolia'' subsp. ''alba'' (formerly ''Melandrium album''), the white campion is a dioecious flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to most of Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is a herbaceous annual, occasio ...

'', white campion * ''Tussilago farfara'', coltsfoot * ''Ulmus sp.'', elm * ''

Viola riviniana ''Viola riviniana'', the common dog-violet, is a species of flowering plant in the family Violaceae, native to Eurasia and Africa. It is also called wood violet and dog violet. It inhabits woodland edges, grassland and shady hedge banks. It is f ...

'', common dog-violet * ''

Viola tricolor ''Viola tricolor'' is a common European wild flower, growing as an annual or short-lived perennial. The species is also known as wild pansy, Johnny Jump up (though this name is also applied to similar species such as the yellow pansy), heartsea ...

'', wild pansy

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline, Wild flowers
Wildflower Magazine
promotes the use and conservation of wildflowers and native plants, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Formerly published by the

North American Native Plant Society The North American Native Plant Society (NANPS) is a volunteer-operated registered charitable organization concerned with conserving native plants in wild areas and restoring indigenous flora to developed areas. It is noted for its work in educati ...

Plantlife, UK organization
Information on 1250 native plant species to North Cyprus.
Ontario Wildflowers
Detailed information about wildflowers of Ontario (Canada) and Northeastern North America
NPIN: Native Plant DatabaseNative Plant Database
from the

Plants Flowers

Examples

See also

References

External links