Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words.
They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning.
During each growing season (late March through September), I will post an article each week featuring a local wildflower that begins blooming at that time.
Each article contains:
- a table of factoids about the plant (e.g., common and scientific names; number of regular plant parts of the flower or whether the flower has irregular or indistinguishable flower parts; an indication of whether it is native, introduced or invasive, etc.),
- plant description and identifying characteristics,
- some folklore,
- info regarding any culinary or medicinal uses of the plant,
- some info regarding its value to wildlife, and
- where you can find the plant locally.
For my subscribers, you’ll automatically be notified when I post the next segment of this ongoing series. Otherwise, simply check back and view the homepage to read the latest segment. Past posts are listed below. Read on!
Wildflowers that begin blooming in –
late March:
- Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) = posted 3/20/2021
- Red Maple (Acer rubrum) = posted 3/26/2022
- Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) = posted 3/25/2023
- Speckled Alder (Alnus incana ssp. rugosa) = posted on 3/23/2024
April week 1:
- Sharp-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) = posted 4/3/2021
- American Hazelnut (Corylus americana) = posted 4/2/2022
- Whitlow Grass (Draba verna) = posted 4/1/2023
April week 2:
- Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) = posted 4/10/2021
- Carolina Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana) = posted 4/9/2022
- Leatherwood (Dirca palustris) = posted 4/8/2023
- Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina) = posted 4/13/2024
April week 3:
- Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) = posted on 4/17/2021
- Canadian Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) = posted 4/16/2022
- Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) and Early Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum giganteum) = posted 4/15/2023
- Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) = posted 4/20/2024
April week 4:
- Hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides) = posted on 4/24/2021
- American Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis) = posted 4/23/2022
- Cut-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) = posted 4/22/2023
- Dwarf Ginseng (Panax trifolius) = posted 4/27/2024
May week 1:
- Miterwort (Mitella diphylla) = posted on 5/1/2021
- Early Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dioicum) = posted 5/7/2022
- Fringed Polygala (Polygaloides paucifolia) = posted 5/6/2023
- Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum) = posted 5/4/2024
May week 2:
- Yellow Clintonia (Clintonia borealis) = posted on 5/9/2021
- Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) = posted on 5/14/2022
- Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) = posted 5/13/2023
- Common Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium montanum) = posted 5/11/2024
May week 3:
- American Bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia) = posted on 5/15/2021
- Early Azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum) = posted on 5/21/2022
- Glaucous Honeysuckle (Lonicera dioica) = posted 5/20/2023
- Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum) = posted 5/18/2024
May week 4:
- Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) = posted on 5/23/2021
- Orange-fruited Horse Gentian (Triosteum aurantiacum) = posted on 5/28/2022
- Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) = posted on 5/27/2023
- Wild Calla (Calla palustris) = Check back in late May 2024
June week 1:
- American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) = posted 6/6/2020
- Great Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea) = posted on 6/5/2021
- Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) = posted on 6/4/2022
- Lance-leaved Figwort (Scrophularia lanceolata) = posted on 6/3/2023
- Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris) = Check back in early June 2024
June week 2:
- Common Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis) = posted 6/13/2020
- Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) = posted on 6/12/2021
- Large Blue Flag (Iris versicolor) = posted on 6/11/2022
- Frostweed (Crocanthemum canadense) = posted on 6/10/2023
- Swamp Candles (Lysimachia terrestris) = Check back in early June 2024
June week 3:
- Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) = posted 6/20/2020
- New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) = posted on 6/19/2021
- Shinleaf (Pyrola elliptica) = posted on 6/18/2022
- Maleberry (Lyonia ligustrina) = posted on 6/24/2023
- Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) = Check back in mid-June 2024
June week 4:
- Enchanter’s Nightshade (Circaea canadensis) = posted 6/27/2020
- Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) = posted 6/26/2021
- Fringed Loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata) = posted 6/25/2022
- Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) = posted 6/24/2023
- Northern Water Plantain (Alisma triviale) = Check back in late June 2024
July week 1:
- American Basswood (Tilia americana var. americana) = posted 7/4/2020
- Mad-dog Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) = posted 7/3/2021
- Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) = posted 7/2/2022
- Ditch Stonecrop (Penthorum sedoides) = posted 7/1/2023
- Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens) = Check back in early July 2024
July week 2:
- Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) = posted 7/11/2020
- Canada Lily (Lilium canadense) = posted 7/10/2021
- Common Bladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris ssp. macrorhiza) = posted 7/9/2022
- Water Horehound (Lycopus americanus) = posted 7/8/2023
- Lopseed (Phryma leptostachya) = Check back in mid-July 2024
July week 3:
- Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) = posted 7/18/2020
- Striped Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) = posted 7/17/2021
- Trumpetweed (Eutrochium fistulosum) = posted 7/16/2022
- Common Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) = posted 7/15/2023
- Marsh Skullcap (Scutellaria galericulata) = Check back in late July 2024
July week 4:
- Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana) = posted 7/25/2020
- Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) = posted 7/24/2021
- Pale Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida) = posted 7/23/2022
- Wild Bean (Apios americana) = posted 7/22/2023
- Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) = Check back in late July 2024
August week 1:
- Great Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) = posted 8/1/2020
- Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) = posted 8/7/2021
- Wild Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) = posted 8/6/2022
- Bulb-bearing Water Hemlock (Cicuta bulbifera) = posted 8/5/2023
- Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata) = Check back in early August 2024
August week 2:
- Hog Peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata) = posted 8/8/2020
- Blue Curls (Trichostema dichotomum) = posted 8/14/2021
- Tall Blue Lettuce (Lactuca biennis) = posted 8/13/2022
- Horse Balm (Collinsonia canadensis) = posted 8/12/2023
- Flat-topped Aster (Doellingeria umbellata) = Check back in early August 2024
August week 3:
- Whorled Aster (Oclemena acuminata) = posted 8/15/2020
- Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana) = posted 8/21/2021
- Late Coralroot (Corallorhiza odontorhiza) = posted 8/20/2022
- Large-leaved Aster (Eurybia macrophylla) = posted 8/19/2023
- One-seeded Bur Cucumber (Sicyos angulatus) = Check back in mid-August 2024
August week 4:
- Blue-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) = posted 8/22/2020
- Flat-topped Goldentop (Euthamia graminifolia) = posted 8/28/2021
- Slender Gerardia (Agalinis tenuifolia) = posted 8/27/2022
- Wavy-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum undulatum) = posted 8/26/2023
- Crooked-stemmed Aster (Symphyotrichum prenanthoides) = Check back in late August 2024
September week 1:
- New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) = posted 9/5/2020
- Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) = posted 9/4/2021
- Nodding Bur Marigold (Bidens cernua) = posted 9/3/2022
- New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) = posted 9/2/2023
- Swamp Beggar Ticks (Bidens connata) = Check back in early September 2024
September week 2:
- Arrow-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum urophyllum) = posted 9/12/2020
October:
- Common Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) = posted 10/3/2020
Looks like the time has come to begin pondering the arrival of next year’s blooms…
Happy trails!
Curious By Nature 