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 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 (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

), ''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 ther ...

'' (not naturally occurring in the area), of which some are labelled '' invasive species'' (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 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 purposes Chambers 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 ''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 A ...

gratianopolitanus''),

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...

the rosebay willowherb (''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 country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

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 artificia ...

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 (band), ...

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 wid ...

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 bot ...

is the best way to attract more bees and encourages them to collect more nectar and pollen 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 '' metropolitan state' ...

. Wildflowers are also a substantial food source for pollinators like bees and butterflies. 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'', summer pheasant's-eye * '' Anagallis'', 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 wh ...

'', common alder * '' Anthemis arvensis'', corn chamomile * '' Callirhoe involucrata'', purple poppy-mallow * '' Centaurea cyanus'', 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 Am ...

'', 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 ...

'', 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'', corn marigold * '' Gypsophila elegans'', 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'', 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'', bird cherry * '' Silene latifolia'', 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 educat ...

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